• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
beautifulingredient.com
  • RECIPES
  • ABOUT
  • PORTFOLIO
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • RECIPES
  • ABOUT
  • PORTFOLIO
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • RECIPES
    • ABOUT
    • PORTFOLIO
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » main dish

    Easy Pasta Bolognese with Red Lentils (vegan)

    Jump to Recipe
    Two plates and a pot filled with easy vegan lentil bolognese with text indicating it's high in protein and fiber.

    This really is such an easy pasta bolognese recipe that happens to be vegan, made with red lentils. It's the ideal weeknight meal, ready in just 20 minutes. This protein- and fiber-packed recipe can take your pasta night to a new level with less of your time. Plus, it's hearty without the health downsides of meat, making it a great Meatless Monday option! Satisfies vegan, whole food plant-based, oil-free lifestyles, and when using gluten-free pasta it also satisfies a gluten-free lifestyle.

    An overhead view of a pot of red lentil bolognese spaghetti and two plates filled with it.

    When I'm tired after a long day and a bit hangry, I am so thankful for this recipe. In the time it takes to boil pasta, the protein-rich sauce is ready to go - and I am more than ready to sit down and dig in.

    If you do have a little more time and energy, this pairs nicely with Maple Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Variations
    • Storage
    • Tips
    • FAQ
    • Recipe
    • General food safety

    Ingredients

    This easy vegan bolognese is created very simply, with inexpensive ingredients: just a jar of your favorite pasta sauce, a bag of dry pasta, and a cup of red lentils is all you need for this recipe.

    Ingredients needed to make Easiest Red Lentil Bolognese: A jar of pasta sauce, a bowl of red lentils, and dry spaghetti.

    Your favorite sauce: Grabbing a jar of your favorite pasta sauce makes this recipe super quick and easy. Of course, you can always make a homemade sauce if you prefer. Also, if you only have your least favorite sauce on-hand, go ahead and use it. Sometimes that's what we need to do to get dinner on the table. Plus, it's getting spruced up.

    Your favorite pasta: I like spaghetti or penne for this recipe myself, but you do you. Whatever's in your pantry is just fine. Be sure to use gluten-free if needed.

    Red lentils: We're using red lentils rather than other varieties because it cooks the fastest, generally taking just 15 minutes. The red lentils are what add several grams of protein and fiber to each serving.

    Instructions

    Stir together the red lentils and pasta sauce in a sauce pot and simmer on the stove while the pasta cooks in a pasta pot.

    Strain the pasta, then place it back in the pot. Check for lentil doneness (the lentils should be soft) and if ready, pour the bolognese over the pasta, tossing to coat. Mangia!

    Two plates and one big pot filled with red lentil bolognese.

    This is the pasta bolognese, ready to eat.

    Two plates of red lentil bolognese.

    Simple additions include toasted pine nuts...

    Two plates of red lentil vegan bolognese topped with pine nuts and nutritional yeast.

    ...nutritional yeast...

    Vegan red lentil bolognese on two plates, topped with pine nuts, nooch, and chopped greens.

    ... and chopped greens, like spinach or parsley.

    Toasted pine nut tip: Pine nuts can be toasted in a pan on the stove. An even easier way is to lay them on a baking sheet/air fryer tray set in a toaster oven at its lowest toast setting. Do keep any eye, just in case yours toaster oven toasts more aggressively at that setting than mine.

    Variations

    This recipe is meant to help you when you have little time or energy to cook, which is why it's very basic. That said, there are so many delicious ingredients you could add to this sauce if you have just a little more time and energy. Here are a few ideas:

    Toasted pine nuts, nutritional yeast, chopped greens, crushed red or other pepper: As noted above, these ingredients are simple add-ons.

    More chopped greens: To add more than just a garnish of chopped spinach, kale, or other greens on top, stir the greens into the bolognese a couple minutes before adding the sauce to the pasta.

    Onion, mushrooms, garlic: These ingredients can be chopped and sautéed in the sauce pot before adding the sauce and lentils.

    Vegan cheese: Your favorite cheese could also be added as a topping. We like Miyoko's Garlic Herb or crumbled Lemon Rosemary Vegan Cheese Log.

    Toppings that can be added to the Easiest Vegan Lentil Bolognese, including greens, vegan cheeses, onion, mushrooms, pine nuts, herbs, and spices.

    Storage

    Because the bolognese sauce is stirred into the pasta, the pasta can be a bit dry for leftovers. Microwaving servings with a small ramekin of water can help. Otherwise, you can serve the pasta and bolognese sauce separately and keep them stored separately. in the fridge.

    Tips

    Want it even more saucy? Double the bolognese!

    Also, if you prefer to have the sauce on the side rather than tossed with the pasta, you do you.

    Try serving this to your favorite meat eater without discussing that it's meatless and see how it goes. Consider establishing a Meatless Monday with this recipe.

    A side view of stacked red lentil bolognese spaghetti.

    FAQ

    Why bother adding lentils to my jar of sauce?

    Lentils boost any jar of sauce by adding lots of protein, fiber, and other nutrients. They also add texture and make a sauce more filling. So this vegan bolognese is a full meal on its own, especially when using whole grain pasta.

    Does this bolognese taste like it has meat in it?

    While I wouldn't say that this vegan bolognese tastes like meat. It is hearty and high in protein like bolognese made with meat, with the addition of fiber and other nutrients and without the fat and cholesterol of meat.

    Why red lentils? Can I use other lentils?

    Red lentils cook the fastest and blend in well to a red sauce. You can use other lentils, but the sauce won't be as quick for a busy weeknight meal as with the red lentils.

    Recipe

    Easiest vegan red lentil bolognese spaghetti on two plates, with one fork twirling noodles.

    Easy Pasta Bolognese with Red Lentils Recipe (vegan)

    The ideal weeknight meal, ready in just 20 minutes. This protein- and fiber-packed recipe can take your pasta night to a new level with less of your time. Plus, it's hearty without the health downsides of meat, making it a great Meatless Monday option! Satisfies vegan, whole food plant-based, oil-free lifestyles, and when using gluten-free pasta it also satisfies a gluten-free lifestyle.
    _______________________________
    Plant diversity: At least 2 different plants in this recipe (If using whole grain pasta, 3), plus any add-ons or sauce ingredients beyond tomatoes and spices!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Lifestyle: Vegan
    Key Attributes: bolognese, pasta, red lentil, sauce
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Fiber: 13.25g
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • 1 pasta pot large
    • 1 sauce pot medium
    • cooktop

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup red lentils dry
    • 1 jar pasta sauce your favorite, about 1 ½ lbs, oil-free if desired
    • 1 pkg pasta dry, gluten-free if desired

    Sauté optional additions

    • 1 med onion chopped
    • 6 mushrooms chopped
    • 2-3 garlic cloves minced

    Topping optional additions

    • pine nuts toasted, sprinkling
    • greens chopped, like spinach, kale, chard
    • nutritional yeast sprinkling
    • vegan cheese sprinkling
    • crushed red pepper sprinkling
    • fresh herbs chopped
    • parsley chopped

    Instructions

    • To make the bolognese: Rinse the red lentils and place them in the sauce pot with the pasta sauce.
      Sautée additional ingredients (optional): Heat the sauce pot and sauté these in it first, then add the lentils and sauce.
    • Heat sauce and pasta water: Bring the heat to medium-high and stir occasionally to keep the lentils from sticking to the bottom. Make sure the lentils are under the surface of the sauce. Add a bit of water if needed.
      Meanwhile, fill the pasta pot with water and place over high heat.
    • Simmer sauce and boil pasta: Once the sauce is simmering, reduce heat to low and cover. Remove the lid occasionally to stir, replacing it each time. No lid? It's ok; the lentils just may take a bit longer to cook.
      Once the pasta water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to package instructions.
    • Strain pasta and test lentils: When the pasta is done, strain out the water and place the pasta back in the pot.
      Test the lentils to see if they're done. Usually, they will be ready, but some batches take longer. If they aren't yet soft, cook a few minutes more until they are.
    • Serve: Pour the sauce over the pasta in the pasta pot. Using two servers, forks, or tongs, toss the pasta until coated with the sauce. Alternatively, serve separately.
      Serve with additional toppings if desired.
    • Store: The pasta bolognese can be stored in the fridge for up to a few days.

    Notes

    When serving six, there are more than 13 grams of fiber and 18 grams of protein per serving!
    Tried this recipe?I'd love to see! On Instagram, mention @beautifulingredient and tag #beautifulingredient!

    General food safety

    • Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
    • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat
    • Wash hands and ingredients well before using
    • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    More main dish

    • Vegan Instant Pot Chili with Greens (oil-free)
    • Easy Homemade Potato Corn Chowder (vegan)
    • Vegan Watermelon Salad (oil-free)
    • Veggie Enchilada Casserole

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Kari smelling anise hyssop while standing behind her market basket and fresh produce.

    Welcome to a world of beautiful food!

    I'm Kari, and this is where I celebrate beautiful ingredients and focus on ways to make eating more plants easier. Recipes are centered around whole foods and are vegan, oil-free, refined sugar-free, and mostly gluten-free. And so delicious!



    recent recipes

    • Toasted Polenta Rounds (air fryer or oven)
    • Vegan Sour Cream (oil-free)
    • How to Start Eating More Plants
    • How to Make Garlic Salt (with reduced sodium)

    explore recipes

    • gluten-free
    • snack
    • 30 minutes or less recipes
    • 5 ingredients or less

    as seen in

    Whole food ingredients surrounding text indicating this blog is one of teh top 50 vegan blogs of 2023.
    Thrive Magazine 35 featuring the work of Beautiful Ingredient

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    beautiful ingredient

    About
    Contact

    Subscribe

    eating more plants

    Recipe Index
    Vegan Travel


    food photography services

    Work with Me • Portfolio
    Photography/Recipe Request Form

    Privacy Policy • Terms of Use • Copyright/Content Usage

    Copyright © 2023 Beautiful Ingredient