Lentil Bolognese

Meat-free Mondays a bore and a chore? Not anymore! Swap your standard ground beef bolognese recipe for this plant-based and bitey lentil bolognese version. Same satisfying texture, deliciously deep and rich flavours, will anyone tell the difference?

If lentils are going to take some building up to, start with this savoury, vegetarian mushroom bolognese, it’s familiar tomato and texture are reminiscent of the family favourite beef ragu recipe. Serve with a cheesy garlic bread for a gentle approach! 

Meat-free Monday is a worthy worldwide initiative that some people, including institutions like schools (in the UK), have been adopting since as early as 2003. Here’s some of the reasons I’m on board:

• It’s a simple way of adding bonus fibre to my diet.
• There are suggested benefits for the environment.
• Plant-based recipes tend to be more budget-friendly.

But if yours is a committed meat-eating household like mine, it can be tricky to come up with acceptable recipes every week! My approach, especially when the kids were younger, is to take a well-loved dish, like spaghetti bolognese and substitute the meat ingredient for a plant-based alternative. This lentil bolognese is the perfect example of the concept!

It’s a formula that works for me. Next try chilli sin carne, meat-free moussaka, and mushroom Wellington. That’s a month of Mondays sorted.

Green lentil bolognese

Lentil ragú is not just a clever meat-free workaround! It’s a genuine Italian dish, ragú di lenticchie. As a lentil-producing country, it makes sense that the humble legume would be incorporated into the nation’s world famous dish. 

In Italy, the lentils for lentil ragu are from Umbria. This variety are seed-small and brown and while they are exported, they are understandably more pricey! So, I didn’t use them! 

The lentil world can be confusing, so here’s a quick lesson in lentils to help you choose the right ones for you:

• French puy lentils (my lentil of choice for this recipe): greenish brown, slightly peppery, will stay firm and need a longer cook. Expect a textured ragu.
• Common green lentils: widely available and inexpensive, will soften with cooking. Expect a smooth sauce.
• Beluga lentils: bigger, almost black legumes, more expensive- like caviar (but not that expensive!)! Expect a bitey bolognese.
• Red lentils: there are probably some in your cupboard right now. Red in colour (obvs), slender and flakey, cheap and a quick cook. Expect a creamy-textured sauce. 

What goes with it

Although almost everyone serves bolognese sauce with spaghetti, it’s really not the best option for a heavy meat sauce. This recipe may be vegetarian but the rule still stands true. Wide, flat tagliatelle or slightly slimmer fettucine are a more robust long noodle choice and better at capturing the sauce. 

For this lentil bolognese, however, I’ve gone for rigatoni. The short but vast tunnels collect the sauce and pulses ensuring you get a perfectly balanced mouthful of everything. And personally, I find them more controllable than long, slurpy pastas! If you’re facing a mutiny without the presence of spaghetti though, do what you’ve got to do!

Serve with all your usual bolognese accompaniments: garlic bread, green salad, parmesan and sun dried tomato roasted broccoli, focaccia and Caprese salad. Maybe not all at once! 

Storage and leftovers

Lentil dishes are ideal for freezing. As the ingredients are so economical, it’s cost effective to double up and batch cook: one for dinner, one for the freezer. This lentil ragu will keep for up to three months, just defrost overnight and heat up on the stovetop.

Leftover bolognese sauce with lentil will keep in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stovetop with a splash of water to loosen if needed.

More vegetarian recipes to try

• Spaghetti alla Siciliana
• Butter Beans Puttanesca
• Chickpeas and Butternut Squash Curry
• Creamy Orzo Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash