• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Up Beet Kitchen

  • All Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Workouts
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • All Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Workouts
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • All Recipes
    • About
    • Contact
    • Workouts
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Celebrations

    Lentil, Mushroom, and Walnut Bolognese

    Published: Feb 11, 2020 Last Modified: Feb 8, 2022 by Allison

    56 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
    vegan lentil mushroom walnut bolognese shown in a bowl with a sprinkling of sunflower seed parmesan.
    overhead shot of the bowl of pasta with recipe title

    This vegan twist on classic bolognese is so healthy and satisfying. It’s packed with protein from lentils and walnuts which, when combined with mushrooms, have a taste and texture similar to a beef bolognese. A healthy splash of red wine at the end really makes this dish sing!

    An overhead shot of a bowl of pasta topped with the vegan bolognese sauce.

    As promised, here is the second of my vegan Valentine’s recipes. It pairs exceptionally well with the avocado kale caesar salad that I shared yesterday. When I think about an ideal romantic dinner, pasta with a hearty vegan bolognese sauce and a creamy caesar salad sounds about right. Paired with a glass or two of fine wine, you have yourself a lovely meal worthy of a vegan Italian restaurant.

    This vegan lentil, walnut, and mushroom bolognese was actually intended for a vegan lasagna recipe! But alas, I ran out of time to assemble, bake, and photograph the lasagna before the sun set, (food blogger problems), so I looked at the sauce and thought, Gosh darn it, that would probably be delicious on plain old pasta. And then I thought, This is the perfect romantic pasta dish for Valentine’s Day! And bam, just like that, one recipe morphed into another, with very positive feedback from all I served this to.

    This is the kind of vegan bolognese that can be whipped up in under 30 minutes, but tastes as though it’s been simmering all day in Nona’s kitchen. It’s bursting with vegetables, lentils, walnuts, and mushrooms–the perfect trifecta for plant-based meaty texture, if I do say so myself–and has just enough red wine to deepen the flavours and give the sauce a nice dark hue.

    how to make this lentil, walnut, and mushroom bolognese:

    You’ll start by sauteing onions, garlic, celery, carrots, and mushrooms in a bit of olive oil. Add seasonings: salt, pepper, chili flakes, basil, oregano, and bay leaves.

    Next, add chopped walnut halves and tomato paste, followed by jarred marinara sauce, cooked lentils, and dry red wine. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Make sure to remove the bay leaves before you serve!

    Ten minutes before you plan to eat, cook spaghetti or linguine.

    Serve the sauce over the pasta and garnish with sunflower seed parmesan!

    An image showing a pot full of lentil mushroom bolognese pasta sauce surrounded by pasta and vegan parmesan.
    a bowl of the pasta topped with bolognese vegan pasta sauce sprinkled with sunflower seed parmesan.
    An image showing linguine wrapped around the tines of a fork with vegan bolognese sauce in the background

    if you’re hungry for more pasta recipes, you might also like:

    • The Best Tempeh Meatballs
    • Protein Power Soba Bowls
    • Green Goddess Pesto Pasta Salad

    Whether you are single or in a relationship–whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day, or prefer not to observe it at all–I think that we can stand to spoil ourselves with a nourishing and comforting vegan meal this Friday. Your body and soul deserve love!

    Speaking of love, I hope that you love this recipe. If you make it, leave a comment and rating below. And share a photo to Instagram with @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen! I love seeing what you make.

    Enjoy! <3

    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    an image showing a bowl of pasta topped with vegan lentil walnut bolognese sauce.

    Lentil, Mushroom, and Walnut Bolognese


    • Author: Allison
    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: 4 servings 1x
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    This vegan twist on classic bolognese is so healthy and satisfying. It’s packed with protein from lentils and walnuts which, when combined with mushrooms, have a taste and texture similar to a beef bolognese. A healthy splash of red wine at the end really makes this dish sing!


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 medium onions, diced
    • 4 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 ribs of celery, diced
    • 2 carrots, diced
    • 3 cups quartered crimini mushrooms
    • 1 tsp dried oregano
    • 1 tsp dried basil
    • 2 bay leaves
    • ¼ tsp chili flakes
    • Couple pinches fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • ½ cup tomato paste
    • 1 ½–2 jars (680 mL jars) marinara sauce (depending on how saucy you like it)
    • 3 cups cooked French green or regular green lentils (from 1 cup dry)*
    • ½ cup dry red wine
    • ¾ cup chopped walnut halves
    • 1 lb linguine or spaghetti
    • Sunflower Seed Parmesan 

    Instructions

    1. Warm the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and a pinch of salt, and saute for 3-4 minutes.
    2. Add the celery, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook until the carrots have softened and the mushrooms are nicely browned, about 8 minutes.
    3. Add the oregano, basil, bay leaves, chili flakes, salt, pepper, and tomato paste and stir to incorporate. Then add the pasta sauce, cooked lentils, and wine.
    4. Bring to a rolling simmer, then turn down heat to medium-low and simmer for at least 20 minutes. You can simmer it over low heat for even longer to really get the flavours to meld, but 20 minutes is sufficient if you are short on time. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the walnuts.
    5. Ten minutes before you are ready to eat, cook the pasta according to the directions on the pasta.
    6. To serve, divide the pasta between four bowls and top with desired amount of sauce and sunflower seed parmesan.

    Notes

    *To cook 1 cup of dry lentils, rinse the lentils in a fine mesh sieve and place in a medium saucepan. Cover with a generous amount of water and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, or until tender but not falling apart. Drain off excess water and proceed with your recipe.

    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 20 minutes
    • Category: Dinner
    • Cuisine: Vegan n

    Keywords: vegan lentil walnut bolognese, vegan bolognese pasta sauce, lentil mushroom sauce for pasta

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @upbeet.kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #upbeetkitchen

    Related

    « Vegan Avocado Kale Caesar Salad with Roasted Squash and Beets
    Vegan No-Bake Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a comment Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    1. Colin

      February 08, 2022 at 10:17 am

      Was about to give this a go but I realised… When do you put those chopped walnuts in somewhere?

      Reply
      • Allison

        February 08, 2022 at 10:34 am

        Hi Colin, you can stir them in right before serving. I’m so sorry about this mistake, I’m going to update the recipe now! Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Hope you enjoy this dish!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    featured image for Up Beet Kitchen about page

    Hi, I'm Allison! Welcome to Up Beet Kitchen, a food blog that specializes in wholesome and feel good recipes for people on the move! I love to work with whole foods to fuel healthy, active lifestyles.

    More about me →

    Trending Recipes

    • Chickpea Brown Rice Spinach Artichoke Casserole (Vegan)
      ★★★★★
    • Carrot Cake Oatmeal Breakfast Bars (V + GF)
      ★★★★★
    • Raw Vegan Banana Cream Pie
      ★★★★★
    • Moroccan Lentil Carrot Salad (Vegan)
      ★★★★★

    Follow Along on Social Media

    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest

    Cozy Recipes

    • Salmon Pesto Quinoa Bake
    • Mole Chicken Bowls
    • Barbecue Meatball Bowls with Avocado Goddess Sauce
    • Egg, Pesto, and Sweet Potato Breakfast Burritos

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • About Up Beet Kitchen

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2023 Upbeet Kitchen on the Foodie Pro Theme

     

    Loading Comments...