Lentil Bolognese (richly-flavored vegetarian pasta sauce)
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If you’re after a deliciously rich lentil bolognese, look no further! This slow-cooked Italian sauce combines caramelized vegetables, lentils, and tomatoes, seasoned with a special savory ingredient. It’s an easy dinner for weeknights or slow Sundays. Ready in an hour!
This lentil bolognese is hearty, rich, and deeply satisfying, with a texture that’s surprisingly close to a classic meat sauce. The lentils bring that familiar, comforting bite, and once everything simmers together, you truly won’t miss the meat. It’s cozy, full-bodied, and exactly the kind of sauce I crave piled onto a bowl of pasta.
Because lentils are relatively mild on their own, I intentionally build flavor. I take the time to caramelize the vegetables, then add tomato paste and a spoonful of miso for extra depth and savory richness. That combination adds layers of umami and complexity, giving the sauce a long-simmered taste that sets it apart from many lentil bolognese recipes.
This is one of those dependable weeknight dinners that everyone at the table enjoys, meat-eaters included. It’s perfect for making ahead, and it freezes beautifully, which means future-you gets a seriously good pasta night with very little effort.
Another lentil recipe I think you might enjoy is my coconut lentil curry.
Store and freeze this recipe
How long does it keep in the fridge? Allow it to cool completely at room temperature, then store any leftover bolognese sauce in a covered container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Can I freeze lentil bolognese? Yes, this sauce freezes beautifully. Store it in an airtight container in your freezer for up to 3 months! Thaw it in your fridge overnight before using.
Lentil Bolognese (richly-flavored vegetarian pasta sauce)
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pasta
- 2 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)
- 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 (or chopped tomatoes)
- Optional toppings: grated parmesan (vegan or regular), sage leaves, black pepper
Instructions
- 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.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 medium onion, 2 large carrots, 1 red bell pepper, 1 teaspoon EACH: sea salt and sugar, 4 large garlic cloves, 5.5 ounce can tomato paste
- 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.1 tablespoon miso, 1 cup dried brown lentils, 4 cups water, 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- While the lentils are cooking, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain and then toss with a little olive oil.12 ounces pasta
- Serve the pasta topped with the lentil bolognese and sprinkled with parmesan and a few sage leaves.Optional toppings: grated parmesan (vegan or regular), sage leaves, black pepper
Video
Nutrition
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First of all, how the hell do you finely mince all those vegetables in 5 minutes??? Delicious though and wonderful for food prep!
You don’t! You mince the onion and while that is cooking you mince the carrot and pepper. 🙂
I really can’t understand why people comment before they have tried the dish. To me, it’s weird. Anyway, I have cooked this a few times and it really is excellent. I love bolognese and was a little sceptical regarding the lentils.
Kristen, bravo to you, I love it. Quite simply, If it doesn’t turn out right, then you have not followed the instructions properly.
It’s a beautiful plate of food. (I have regular pasta though)
Thank you for an idea that I would never have thought of. I will pass on to the rest of England.
Thank you so much, Steve!!
My doctor is a keen advocate of a plant based diet so I’m trying out a few ideas. This is super. Potentially has more flavour than my normal meat based one. I used soy sauce and a vegetable stock cube as I didn’t have miso. I also added capers and olives. Thank you very much.
You’re very welcome!
Can i use miso paste for this recipe?
you can!
The lentils barely cooked which left the Bolognese quite chewy. I suggest cooking the lentils aldente before adding to the recipe
You could always add a splash of water to the pan to let them cook a little longer, too. 🙂
The. Best.
Thank you so much!!
I made this tonight Just Perfect really enjoyed this lovely and simple quick dish new fav!!!
So happy it was a hit!
Recipe was a failure. I had brand new lentils from the store. They have been cooking for over an hour in the sauce and have not softened. I have added water, covered them, and yet, they are still hard. Kid is starving so I had to serve him the cooked noodles and our other side dishes for dinner. Very disappointing.
I’m sorry that the recipe did not turn out well for you. I wonder if the lentils had been sitting on your store shelf for a while. The only time I ever have trouble with lentils not softening is when they are old.
I’m just starting to cook with lentils and I only have canned, how much would you recommend putting in to replaced the dried lentils ?
I would double them and not add any water unless the curry starts to look dry. 🙂
I’m in the UK & I made a batch of 17 portions of this around 8 days ago. It is THAT GOOD, I need to make another batch again this weekend! I used half green lentils, half Quorn mince. I cooked the lentils separately, as I like a rapid boil to cook them properly.. I have it with gluten free fusilli. Let me tell you about how rich, savory and slightly “sweet” this recipe is, due to the miso and the tomato concentrate. Most Bolognese recipes use chopped tomatoes but let me tell you, using all tomato paste (concentrate) is something else. This is thick, fresh. I put the fresh toms in at the end so they stay nice and fresh. I also put a glug of red wine in and a good sprinkling of nutritional yeast to give it even more”cheesy” savoriness. No one would EVER say this recipe needs meat or ANY more flavor. The miso really is the star here. Paired with tomato concentrate it is a powerful combination. I also put soy sauce and sugar in!! What a meal! Love it and will recommend to my friends & colleagues. Serve with parmesan shavings 😛 Thanks!!
PS i serve it into tubs with the pasta and I freeze portions in the tubs.it reheats perfectly and you’d never know it had been frozen!!!
I love it! This is one of my fav vegetarian recipes. So happy to hear it was a hit!
Excited about trying this! Quick question. Do you know what one cup of lentils is in g and what four cups of water is in ml? Thanks.
You’ll need 200 grams of lentils and 1 liter (1000 ml) of water. 🙂
Both my meat-loving boyfriend and I loved this recipe (“It’s true, I really liked it”, he says as he reads over my shoulder). I added red wine and soaked the lentils for a couple of hours beforehand, which made the cooking process faster. Thanks for the great recipe!
You know a vegan recipe is a winner when it’s won over a meat lover!
A new entry into our regular rotation of recipes. The only substitution I made was using veggie stock instead if water just because I had some on hand. Would absolutely reccomend this!
Thank you so much!
Do you have to soak the lentils first?
I don’t!
Delicious!!!
So happy you liked it!
Lentils shouldn’t be cooked until they’re like mush anyway. They are a legume so should still be a bit firm when cooked. More like al dente legumes.
I personally much prefer them when they’re a little softer, especially in this recipe which is trying to mimic bolognese sauce. 🙂