Lentil bolognese
60 min · 36 g protein · 560 cals / serving
A thick, slow-simmered bolognese with no meat in it at all: brown lentils, finely chopped mushrooms and a handful of soy mince cook down in tomato and broth until the sauce is rich, savory and clings to every strand of spaghetti. A spoonful of soy sauce gives it the deep, meaty background a classic ragù gets from browned beef.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, finely diced
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 9 oz crimini mushroom, finely chopped (a food processor is quickest)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3/4 cup lentils, brown or green lentils, rinsed
- 1 scant cup textured vegetable protein (tvp), dry, dry soy mince (TVP)
- 2 cans (14 oz each) canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 3/4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 7 oz pasta, spaghetti
To serve
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- a handful of leaves fresh basil
Steps
- Heat the oil in a large, deep pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of the salt and cook, stirring now and then, for 8–10 minutes, until soft and starting to turn golden.
- Turn the heat up a little, add the mushrooms and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until their liquid has cooked off and they start to brown. Add the garlic for the last minute.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook it for a minute, then add the lentils, soy mince, crushed tomatoes, broth, soy sauce, oregano, basil, bay leaf, pepper flakes, the rest of the salt and the pepper. Bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 35–40 minutes, stirring every few minutes and scraping the bottom, until the lentils are tender and the sauce is thick enough to hold a line when you drag a spoon through it. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick before the lentils are done. Fish out the bay leaf and taste for salt.
- While the sauce simmers, cook the spaghetti in well-salted water according to the package. Save a mugful of the cooking water, then drain.
- Toss the spaghetti with about a third of the sauce and a splash of the pasta water so it turns glossy, then plate it and spoon the rest of the sauce on top. Finish with nutritional yeast and torn basil.
Good to know
Can I leave out the soy mince?
Yes. Use another 1/3 cup of lentils and an extra 3/4 cup of broth instead. The sauce is just as good, a little softer in texture and a little lower in protein, and it scores about 69 instead of 66.
Brown, green or red lentils?
Brown or green lentils hold their shape and give the sauce a minced-meat texture. Red lentils melt into the tomato and make a smoother, thicker sauce; they cook in about 20 minutes, so cut the simmer short.
Does it freeze?
The sauce freezes well for up to three months, and it tastes even better the next day. Freeze it without the pasta and cook fresh spaghetti when you serve it.
Alternative
Per
- Calories
- 91
- Protein
- (27%)
- 6 g
- Fat
- (10%)
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- (64%)
- 16 g
- of which sugar
- 3 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 315 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 2239 kcal goes into the pot and 2631 g of ingredients comes out as about 2470 g of food: 91 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.