I promise you won't miss the meat in this delicious Lentil Bolognese. By caramelizing the onions, carrots, peppers, and tomato paste the pasta sauce becomes rich and deeply flavored. It's an easy to make and super tasty vegan dinner recipe that sits deliciously on top of gluten-free Chickapea Pasta.
You guys, I'm so excited about today! I've literally been waiting months to share this with you. I can't believe the day is finally here. 💃💃💃
There are two things new to my life, and I can no longer live without them:
- This vegan lentil bolognese. Seriously, who would have ever thought? It sounds like some second rate version of a delicious traditional bolognese. That's what I figured when I started creating the recipe. Honestly, I have some big time doubts. It turns out, it's the most delicious pasta sauce ever.
- Chickapea Pasta. See that penne the lentil bolognese is sitting on? That is my fav new pasta and it just so happens to be gluten-free and made with only two super HEALTHY ingredients. Crazy, right? What's even more insane is that it is really and truly totally delicious.
Let's face plant straight into a bowl of good for us pasta and come up with giant smiles on our faces.
This lentil bolognese is out of the world awesome because of one thing: caramelization. Yep, that's it. That's the ticket.
I knew that to make this recipe crazy delicious, I'd have to pull out the big guns. You see, when you make a regular bolognese sauce, all the emphasis is on the meat. Since meat has so much flavor, the other ingredients are there only to back up the beef.
Lentils, on the opposite side of the flavor scale, are basically flavorless. They offer so little in the flavor department that all the other ingredients need to step up and take over.
To really shine, those other ingredients (I'm looking at you, onions, carrots, and bell peppers) need to cook low and slow in a decent amount of healthy oil until all their sweet natural sugars caramelize and the flavor totally pops. If you rush this step, you'll know in the end result.
Once the veggies are super caramelized, we take it one step further and caramelize the tomato paste. This sauce is all about layers of flavor. For one more umami punch, I've added miso to the mix.
While it can be tough to mimic the richness of a traditional meat-based dish, this one nails it.
The other thing that is out of the world amazing: Chickapea Pasta. I've fallen hard, and there's no looking back.
To be totally honest, we eat very little pasta here. It's not that I don't like pasta (I love pasta), it's just that I can't bring myself to serve a bunch of white flour on a daily basis. Now that I'm serving dinner to my little girl, I'm even more conscious about what I bring to the table.
Enter Chickapea Pasta ….
This pasta (which happens to be gluten-free, although that's not why I love it) has changed how I feel about pasta. It's made with only two ingredients, and both are totally healthy: organic red lentils and organic chickpeas.
I don't know how they do it, but they manage to take those two things (and only those two things!) and turn them into some of the best penne, spirals, and shells. It's like magic.
Chickapea pasta is a bit hardier than regular, white-flour pasta. The texture is very similar to whole-wheat pasta. And, like regular pasta (but not like some gluten-free pasta), the flavor is neutral so you can pile on any sauce you like and know that it will go together well.
My biggest fear when I first served this, is that I would love it but my handsome man would hate it. He would eat white flour pasta every night if I didn't beat him to the kitchen to start making dinner first. He even once got up from the dinner table to make himself ‘real' pasta rather than eat the gluten-free stuff I served. 😂
When he declared Chickapea Pasta as being, “actually really good” I knew it was a winner. 🏆
I've joined up with the Chickapea Team and will be sharing Chickapea Pasta recipes from the other team members on social media. Are we friends on Facebook and Instagram? I hope we are! That's where I'll be sharing links to the other recipes.
Video: How to make Vegan Lentil Bolognese {1 min}
If you make this Deliciously Rich Lentil Bolognese make sure you snap a pic and tag #theendlessmeal #ChickapeaPasta and on Instagram so I can like and comment on your photos. I love seeing TEM recipes you create!
- 2 boxes of Chickapea Pasta Spirals or Penne
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely minced
- 2 large carrots, finely minced
- 1 red bell pepper, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon each: sea salt and sugar
- 4 large garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 - 5.5 ounce can tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon miso (any color works in this recipe)
- 1 cup dried brown lentils
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- Optional toppings: grated parmesan (or vegan parmesan, if needed), sage leaves, black pepper
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, red pepper, sea salt, and sugar to the skillet and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is well caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste to the skillet and let it cook until the tomato paste is caramelized and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Add the miso, lentils, and water to the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let the lentils cook, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until they are soft. Stir the lentils occasionally and add more water if they are looking dry. Stir in the cherry tomatoes.
- While the lentils are cooking, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the Chickapea Pasta and cook until al dente, about 5-6 minutes. Drain and toss with a little olive oil.
- Serve the penne topped with the lentil bolognese and sprinkled with parmesan and a few sage leaves.
Kristen Stevens
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Kristen is the person working behind the scenes at The Endless Meal. She takes all the pics, creates all the recipes and eats all the leftovers. 
I am so excited to try this recipe! I was just wondering if you think omitting the miso would dramatically change the dish?
Miso helps to make it extra rich, but you can definitely omit it if it’s not something you keep on hand.
Looks good
Thank you so much!
This recipe is soooooo tasty! I tried this tonight and it was rich and delicious. We made it low in fat by removing the oil and caramelizing the veggies with beef flavoured broth. It also paired well with spelt pasta – what we had on hand. Next time, I’ll try a spin and add some red wine during the caramelizing process.
What a great idea! I’m so happy the recipe was a hit!
Bought two boxes of Chickapea at a local store after seeing this post. We used it in a big pot of miso vegetable soup tonight and it was delicious! It’s cheaper from your link so I just bought six more 🙂
It is so good, isn’t it?! We’re totally sold. Nice call on the miso vegetable soup + Chichapea!
I love chickpea pasta! The delicious caramelizing you were able to get from the ingredients in your Bolognese is just perfect! I’m ready to face plant into a bowl of this right along with you! hehe
Isn’t it the best?!! Let’s dive into that bowl together he he. 🙂
I love this and how great to have another vegan alternative. I have vegan friends and family and looking for new dishes to delight them with. So beautiful!
They’re going to love it! We’re not vegan either but do love to eat meat-free a few times a week. It’s nice to have some vegan recipes in your repertoire isn’t it?
I won’t lie Kristen = I had the same reaction to Chickapea Pasta when I first tried it as your handsome man (I love that you called him that haha)… I was like “wow. healthy pasta is actually good”. I was doubtful at first – being someone who eats gluten by the fistful. But I don’t even buy wheat pasta now – I’m a total Chickapea convert!!
AND THIS LENTIL BOLOGNESE. Good lord woman!!! Gimme. Pinning all over the place!
PS. Caramelizing tomato paste is one of my favourite tricks – it adds SO much flavour to a dish.
I’m so loving the reaction people are getting from Chickapea. Amazing!! Thank you so much for the pins!!
Kristen – I absolutely love that this is both gluten free and vegetarian = and it looks so hearty and delicious! Perfect for the last month of winter weather over here in Toronto and a great way to enjoy some more of my favourite pasta too 😉
It really is the perfect winter meal … which is still hanging on here on the west coast, too!
Hi there,
Could I use any type of lentil? (brown, red, green)
You could sub red or green lentils. Just make sure the red lentils are not split or the will turn to mush.
I just want to dive right into that dish!
Ha ha I love it!
You did an amazing job turning one of my favorite meat sauces into a guiltless pleasure, love it! (Caramelizing the veggies is such a neat trick.) And we’ve fallen in love with Chickapea pasta here, too!
Thanks, Sue!! Amazing how awesome Chickapea Pasta is, isn’t it? Can’t imagine living without it now!!
Wow Kristen – this is a brilliant way to enjoy a bolognese without the meat – which I don’t care for anyway! We are thrilled with Chickapea Pasta and this beautiful dish is going on my list of must make recipes. Meatless Mondays don’t get any better than this!
I love a traditional bolognese so was actually quite surprised how rich and delicious this vegan version is. You definitely don’t miss the meat. We’re thrilled with Chickapea, too. Absolutely loving it!!
This looks crazy delicious! Loving all the veggies mixed up in this gorgeous sauce.
Thank you so much, Michelle! It really is so good. 🙂
This bolognese sounds incredible and I love the addition of miso! I’m loving Chickapea pasta and feel so good about preparing it for my family! This dish is definitely going into my meal plan!
Thank you so much Marcie! I’m so loving Chickapea pasta, too. It feels great being able to indulge and feed my family well. I hope your family likes the lentil bolognese as much as mine does!
This dish has all my favourite ingredients and I love the caramelizing aspect you’ve added, Kristen! I’m imagining the rich depth of flavour you’ve achieved and I can’t wait to make a big bowl of this. Don’t you find that the taste of the Chickapea pasta inspires so many new ideas?! Love this 🙂
Caramelizing all the ingredients makes such a big difference. I know you’ll love this dish! And yes, my mind is racing with new ideas for sauces to top Chickapea pasta with. So great to hear you love it, too!