Lentil Bolognese: How to Prepare It

If you want to change the classic Bolognese variant, or if you want it to be vegan, the lentil Bolognese is a suitable alternative. In this practical tip, you will learn how to prepare lentils, Bolognese.

Lentil bolognese: You need these ingredients:

Spaghetti Bolognese is traditionally made with ground beef, but this ingredient isn’t necessary to make a delicious meal. It doesn’t matter whether you don’t like minced meat, don’t have the ingredient at home, or are a vegetarian or vegan – with this recipe, the classic spaghetti dish is rethought. The following ingredients correspond to about 3 servings.

• 125 g red lentils
• 2 onions
• 1/2 carrot
• 250 ml vegetable broth
• 250 g of tomato passata
• 200 grams of chopped tomatoes
• 100 g fresh mushrooms (chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves chopped (optional)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons Italian herbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 125 g spaghetti (or other types of pasta)

Lentil Bolognese – How to prepare it

If you have all the ingredients ready, you can get started right away and prepare the dish in about 20 minutes. To do this, proceed as follows:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high.
2. Chop the onions and sauté them in the heated pan for a few minutes.
3. Also, chop the carrot and mushrooms into small pieces and add them to the pan as well. Fry carrots, mushrooms, and onions for a few minutes.
4. Now add the spices, the finely chopped garlic, and the tomato paste.
5. Stir everything well and let the ingredients roast for about 2 minutes.
6. Now add the red lentils, the vegetable broth, and the crushed and chopped tomatoes. Stir well and bring the Bolognese to a boil.
7. After the Bolognese is cooking, reduce the heat and place the lid on the pan. Let the bolognese simmer for another 15-20 minutes until the lentils are done.
8. If the sauce is still too runny, you can take the lid off the pan for a few minutes to let the liquid evaporate. If it’s too dry, you can add some water or broth.
9. While the Bolognese is simmering, cook the pasta in another saucepan according to the package directions.
10. Then serve the lentil Bolognese with the pasta and enjoy hot. Enjoy your meal!

Lentil bolognese – more tips and recipe ideas

You can hardly go wrong with lentil bolognese. If you want, there are many ways to expand the recipe even further or make it prettier.

• Cheese: Parmesan gives the Bolognese that certain something. Of course, you can also use vegan Parmesan alternatives or yeast flakes here.
• Herbs: Fresh herbs go well with almost any pasta dish. Not only do they taste good, but they also make for a more beautiful dish.
• Vegetables: If you have other vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, leeks, celery, or zucchini, you can chop small amounts of these and add them to the bolognese as well.
• Low-carb spaghetti: If you’re avoiding carbs but want to eat spaghetti bolognese, you can also make delicious spaghetti with zucchini and other veggies.
• Lentil alternative: If you don’t have red lentils at home, you can use other lentils or beans. Although they differ in appearance and taste, they still taste good and go well with the rest of the ingredients for a Bolognese!
• Spices: You can also use a ready-made Bolognese spice mix and thus do without the specified herbs.