Lentil Bolognese is made with pantry and fridge ingredients. It’s a comforting, tasty meal full of big savoury flavour. This sauce starts with diced onions, celery and carrots. Tomatoes are added to make the give the tomato ragú. Enhance the rich flavour further with red wine, herbs, olives, sun dried tomatoes and capers. Serve over pasta or creamy polenta or toss with zucchini noodles for a plant based version. 

Ingredients in Lentil Bolognese

• Lentils – use small lentils, like Black Beluga Lentils or brown or green lentils.  
• Onions and garlic – for depth of flavour
• Carrots and celery – for sweetness and complexity
• Fresh oregano – or substitute 2 teaspoons dried oregano 
• Tomato paste – to add depth and richness
• Tomato passatta 
• Red wine – to add complexity
• Fresh tomatoes – or canned tomatoes
• Vegetable stock 
• Hemp seeds – for texture and richness
• Olives, capers, sun dried tomatoes – for a punch of flavour and brightness

This recipe inspired by Feasting At Home

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Lentil Bolognese

It is rich, thick, and sticks to your ribs

Course Main Course

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 ½ cups carrots, diced
• 1 ½ cups celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp pepper, fresh ground
• ¼ tsp chili flakes, optional
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano or 2 tsp dried oregano
• ⅓ cup tomato paste
• ¼ cup red wine, (optional)
• 1 ¼ cup black beluga lentils
• 3 medium tomatoes, diced with juices, or a 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 3 ½ cups vegetable broth, low sodium
• ¼ cup hemp seeds
• ¼ cup green olives, pitted and sliced
• 2 tsp capers
• ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
• Add diced onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes stirring until fragrant.
• Lower heat to medium, add carrots, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, chili flakes, and herbs.
• Sauté 7-8 minutes, stirring from time to time.
• Add the tomato paste, browning it just a bit in the pan (this will deepen the flavour).
• Deglaze the pan with wine, scraping up any bits in the pan.
• Once most of the wine has cooked off add the tomatoes and their juices, cook them down for a few minutes.
• Add the lentils, vegetable stock and hemp seeds. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat to low, and simmer gently 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
• Add olives, capers and sun dried tomatoes and continue cooking uncovered until some of the liquid has cooked off.
• Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Serve with your favourite pasta. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan or nutritional yeast.

Notes

Recipe inspired by Feasting At Home