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!
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!
if you’re hungry for more pasta recipes, you might also like:
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
Lentil, Mushroom, and Walnut Bolognese
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
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
- 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
- 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.
- Add the celery, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook until the carrots have softened and the mushrooms are nicely browned, about 8 minutes.
- 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.
- 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.
- Ten minutes before you are ready to eat, cook the pasta according to the directions on the pasta.
- 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
Colin
Was about to give this a go but I realised… When do you put those chopped walnuts in somewhere?
Allison
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!