Name: Lentil Bolognese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 Servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 0.25 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 onion; 4 cloves garlic; 1 stalk celery; 1 carrot; 1 tsp salt; 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning; black pepper; 5.5 ounces tomato paste; 0.5 cup red wine; 2 cups vegetable broth; 1.25 cups brown or green lentils*; 0.5 cup walnuts*; 28 ounces crushed tomatoes; 0.25 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley; 0.25 cup Parmesan*

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Lentil Bolognese

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Ingredients

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Instructions

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Instructions

In a large deep skillet or pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add in the onion and garlic and 15 for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Add in the celery, carrot, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Mix and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Mix in the tomato paste and continue to cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly.

Add in the wine (or ½ cup of additional broth if not using wine) and scrape the bottom of the skillet to deglaze. Add in the broth, lentils, walnuts, and crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for 40-45 minutes, stirring every few minutes, or until the lentils are tender and cooked.

Stir in the parsley and cheese and cook for 1 additional minute. Remove from the heat and enjoy over your favorite pasta!

Notes

Lentils – If you want to use red lentils for this recipe, just know that they’ll need less cook time and will end up quite a bit softer than the brown or green lentils.

Walnuts – I tested the recipe with and without the walnuts. You can leave them out as desired. They add a nice little bit of crunch to the recipe that I find really nice.

Parmesan- This can either be left out completely or replaced with a vegan parmesan.

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Tips & Tricks (5)

Toast Your Walnuts First 🥜
Lightly toast the walnuts in a dry skillet for 2-3 minutes before chopping and adding to the sauce—this amplifies their nutty depth and creates better texture than raw walnuts.
Bloom Your Tomato Paste 🍅
Cook the tomato paste in olive oil for 1-2 minutes before adding other ingredients to caramelize it slightly, which intensifies the umami and prevents a metallic aftertaste.
Let It Simmer Low and Long ⏱️
Simmer the bolognese uncovered for at least 30-40 minutes on low heat—this allows flavors to meld, lentils to soften perfectly, and excess moisture to reduce for a richer, more concentrated sauce.
Finish with Red Wine Reduction 🍷
Add red wine early and let it reduce by half before adding broth; this concentrates the wine's tannins and acidity, creating a more sophisticated, restaurant-quality depth of flavor.
Stir in Parmesan Just Before Serving 🧀
Reserve the Parmesan and fold it in at the very end off the heat to preserve its delicate nutty notes and prevent clumping from high temperatures.