- Healthier living
- Dairy free
- Egg free
- Lactose free
- Nut free
- Peanut free
- Sesame free
- Soy free
- Shellfish free
- Seafood free
- Diabetes friendly
- No added sugar
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- High in dietary fibre
- High in protein
- Over 4 serves veg or fruit
Ready in less than 30 minutes, our meat-free and dairy-free lentil bolognese is worthy of comfort-food status, plus it’s easy on the budget.
- Serves4
- Cook time15 minutes
- Prep time10 minutes
Ingredients
- 300g wholemeal pasta
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
- 200g Coles mushroom mince
- 1 (130g) carrot, finely chopped
- 1 (150g) zucchini, finely chopped
- 1/2 (230g) eggplant, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 cup (200g) red lentils, rinsed, drained
- 800g can diced tomatoes
- 1/3 cup (95g) salt-reduced tomato paste
- 1/2 cup (125ml) reduced-salt vegetable stock
- 1/4 cup shredded basil leaves
Nutritional information
Check ingredient labels to make sure they meet your specific dietary requirements and always consult a health professional before changing your diet. View dietary information here.
Percentage Daily Intake information on our recipes is calculated using the nutrition reference values for an average Australian adult.
Method
Step 1
Cook the pasta in a saucepan of boiling water following packet directions or until al dente. Drain.
Step 2
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat, then add the onion, mushroom, carrot, zucchini and eggplant and cook, stirring, for 5 mins or until the vegetables soften. Add the garlic, lentils, tomatoes, tomato paste and stock. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 mins or until the mixture thickens slightly and lentils are tender.
Step 3
Add the pasta to the mushroom mixture, stir until combined. Divide the pasta mixture among serving bowls. Sprinkle with basil to serve.
Recipe tip
COOK. STORE. SAVE
Clever storage: Although this mushroom and lentil bolognese is ready in 25 minutes, it can be made in advance and frozen to make an effortless dinner. Allow the sauce to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Smart swap: Red lentils expand to about 2½ times their size upon cooking, which is the equivalent of one 400g can of brown lentils, so use these instead if you have some in the cupboard.
Why vegetarian bolognese should be on your weekly meal plan
Rich and nourishing, bolognese has been fuelling families for centuries, not only tossed through pasta but also as a filling for cannelloni and crepes, as well as layered into a hearty lasagne. With our clever recipe, this classic Italian sauce can now be enjoyed meat-free, with earthy mushrooms and lentils the stars of the dish. Using lentils to prepare a vegan bolognese makes perfect sense, as Italians love this humble pulse (brown lentils are eaten on New Year’s Eve in Italy to bring in good luck). This lentil bolognese sauce is a tasty and good-for-you dish that is also easy to prepare and budget-friendly.
Delicious and great-for-you lentil recipes are perfect for wholesome meals. Packed with nutrition, choose from soups, stews and salads with less meat and more goodness.
Red lentils: the star ingredient in this vegetarian bolognese sauce
While vegetables provide sweet and hearty flavour as well as beneficial vitamins and nutrients to this vegan lentil bolognese, mushrooms add a delicious umami flavour and lentils provide the protein. Short on time? Grab a pack of Coles mushroom mince – all the fine chopping has been done for you. You need to chop your vegetables finely for your lentil pasta sauce to achieve the consistency of bolognese. If you have one, a food processor makes light work of this job.
Adding red lentils to bolognese not only provides high protein but also fibre, B vitamins and iron. Whether split or whole, red lentils don’t require any soaking and are quick to cook, going from dry to tender in less than 15 minutes. Leftover red lentils can be used to make dahl, this sweet potato and lentil curry or these crisp spiced red lentil patties.
Time to serve up your lentil and mushroom bolognese
While this lentil bolognese sauce is served with wholemeal pasta, you can make it gluten-free by swapping it for pulse pasta. For dairy-free, grate or sprinkle plant-based cheese over the top of the sauce. Nutritional yeast is also a great dairy-free substitute for cheese. A non-activated form of regular yeast, it contains protein and vitamins as well as having a deep umami taste. You can also add dried Italian herbs and chopped fresh rosemary to the red lentil bolognese sauce or swap the basil for fresh parsley if you’d prefer.
If you can’t get enough of pasta and looking for healthier options, try our recipes for healthy mac and cheese or beef and green veggie pasta bake. For more inspiration, see our collection of healthy recipe ideas.
FAQs
Lentil bolognese
- Serves4
- Cook time15 minutes
- Prep time10 minutes
Ingredients
- 300g wholemeal pasta
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
- 200g Coles mushroom mince
- 1 (130g) carrot, finely chopped
- 1 (150g) zucchini, finely chopped
- 1/2 (230g) eggplant, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 cup (200g) red lentils, rinsed, drained
- 800g can diced tomatoes
- 1/3 cup (95g) salt-reduced tomato paste
- 1/2 cup (125ml) reduced-salt vegetable stock
- 1/4 cup shredded basil leaves
Description
Ready in less than 30 minutes, our meat-free and dairy-free lentil bolognese is worthy of comfort-food status, plus it’s easy on the budget.
Method
Step 1
Cook the pasta in a saucepan of boiling water following packet directions or until al dente. Drain.
Step 2
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat, then add the onion, mushroom, carrot, zucchini and eggplant and cook, stirring, for 5 mins or until the vegetables soften. Add the garlic, lentils, tomatoes, tomato paste and stock. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 mins or until the mixture thickens slightly and lentils are tender.
Step 3
Add the pasta to the mushroom mixture, stir until combined. Divide the pasta mixture among serving bowls. Sprinkle with basil to serve.