Stay Healthy Vegan

Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese (Lentil and Mushroom, 45 Minutes)

Lentils and finely chopped mushrooms together produce a bolognese-style sauce with a genuinely meaty texture — the lentils provide chew and body, the mushrooms add umami depth. This is not a “veganised” version of a meat sauce; it’s a lentil-mushroom ragù that happens to work beautifully on spaghetti. A long simmer in red wine and tomato builds a rich, complex sauce. 45 minutes produces good results; 90 minutes produces exceptional ones.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 2 medium carrots, finely diced
  • 2 stalks celery, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 12 oz (340 g) cremini mushrooms, very finely chopped
  • 1 cup (200 g) green or brown lentils, rinsed
  • ½ cup (120 ml) red wine (dry — or replace with extra broth)
  • 2 cans (800 g total) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce (adds umami depth)
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Fresh basil to serve

Pasta:

  • 14 oz (400 g) spaghetti or tagliatelle

Method

  1. Build the soffritto. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 8–10 minutes until very soft and lightly golden.
  2. Add garlic and mushrooms. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add finely chopped mushrooms. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released all their liquid and that liquid has evaporated. The mushrooms should look concentrated and darker in colour.
  3. Add tomato paste. Add tomato paste and stir into the mushroom mixture. Cook for 2 minutes.
  4. Deglaze with wine. Pour in the red wine. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pot. Cook for 2–3 minutes until the wine has mostly evaporated.
  5. Add lentils and liquids. Add rinsed lentils, crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, oregano, basil, and soy sauce. Stir well.
  6. Simmer. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer partially covered for 30–35 minutes (longer if you have time), stirring every 10 minutes, until lentils are fully tender and the sauce has thickened. Add more broth if it becomes too thick before the lentils are soft.
  7. Season. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust.
  8. Cook pasta. In the last 15 minutes of the sauce simmering, cook pasta in well-salted water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water.
  9. Combine. Toss drained pasta with the bolognese sauce, adding a splash of pasta water if needed to loosen.
  10. Serve. Plate and top with fresh basil and nutritional yeast (or vegan parmesan if available).

Tips for a Rich Vegan Bolognese

Finely chop the mushrooms. The mushrooms should be chopped so finely they almost become a paste — this texture blends into the sauce rather than looking like identifiable mushroom chunks. A food processor saves time.

Cook out the mushroom liquid. Mushrooms release a lot of water. Continue cooking until all of that liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are concentrated and dark. This step builds significant umami.

Don’t rush the soffritto. The base of onion, carrot, and celery cooked until properly soft and slightly golden is what differentiates a great Italian-style sauce from a merely competent one.

Longer simmering. If you have 90 minutes instead of 45, let the sauce go low and slow. It improves significantly.

FAQ

Can you make this ahead? Yes — bolognese is an excellent make-ahead sauce. It keeps in the fridge for 5 days and freezes well for 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth.

What pasta shape works with bolognese? Traditionally tagliatelle (flat ribbons) or pappardelle. Spaghetti is popular outside Italy. Rigatoni also works well — the tubes hold the sauce.

For a quicker pasta dinner, see the easy vegan pasta with garlic. Browse all plant-based mains at the main meals hub.