Lentil-ese – Vegetarian Spaghetti Bolognese
This lentil based sauce is just as delicious as traditional meat based Bolgenese sauce, and is a great meat-free easy family dinner.
This vegetarian spaghetti bolognese is so good, most people won’t know there is no meat in it unless you tell them! It’s a great budget-friendly, freezer-friendly and kid-friendly meal option that everyone will love!
Bolognaise?
Or bolognese?
Regardless of how you spell it, I am pretty sure this version isn’t anything like the good people of Bologna make. So technically I should call it something entirely different but ‘I can’t believe there’s no meat in it bolognese’ is kinda a mouthful, so I’m sticking with ‘Lentil-ese’.
The name sums it up perfectly, it is vegetarian spaghetti bolognese sauce with lentils instead of meat. I admit I was skeptical when I first tried it, no way would it be the same, and honestly, it isn’t quite the same as a meat based sauce, but it is pretty darn close!
You can add meat to this recipe if you like. I often add 200 grams of minced beef along with the lentils. The meat gives it a richer, more silky texture and taste, but it is delicious with or without the meat.
This vegetarian bolognese sauce freezes really well, so make a double batch and put one in the freezer for later!
I don’t use any strict measurements for this recipe. Much like regular bolognese sauce, you just chuck in whatever you like and cook it up. So the quantities in the recipe are just a rough idea, feel free play around with them. Same goes for the ingredients, play around and add whatever veggies you like.
This lentil based spaghetti sauce is just as good as traditional meat based Bolognese sauce!
Lentil-ese - Vegetarian Spaghetti Bolognese
Ingredients
Instructions
Please note: this recipe uses Australian measurements and cooking temperatures, if you need to convert measurements or temperatures you can download my handy dandy kitchen conversion cheat sheet here.
I’d never cooked with red lentils before I tried this pasta sauce, but now I use them all the time! They blend well with just about anything and are a great way to bulk out mince meat dishes to make them budget-friendly and super filling.
What vegetarian meals do your kids love?
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Yay – thanks for sharing! We LOVE bolognaise around here (ha! Spell check tried to change that to bolognese!) but are trying to eat less red meat, so this is perfect.
Love it kate, thanks!!! going to try it out later in the week! xx
I saw this on your monthly plan and was wondering about it. Now I’m not wondering, I’m going to make it for dinner tonight! Sounds yummy and easy! Thank you :-)
you just inspired me to make my red lentil dahl… well when i read this originally it was about 3pm so I made it then :) xx
Oooh do you have your dahl recipe on your blog?
Have been pondering whether my kids would eat dahl….
I don’t actually kate but I will put it up as a post this week and let you know :) It is really yummy!!! and in my thermomix takes about 20 minutes! xx
Looks yummo Kate! Did the gaggle of children enjoy it?
3 our of 4 kids eat this…. one still refuses spaghetti bolognese in all forms. But 3 out of 4 is a win in this house! LOL
I do lasagne with brown lentils – it even looks the same! For some reason I hadn’t thought of bolognaise. And I just happen to have a pack of lentils in the pantry.
We have fish one night a week and with our own chickens we have eggs one night and chicken another night. I try to have at least one night vegetarian and then you add in leftovers and takeaway night we have it mostly covered.
Oh how I wish I could convince my girls to eat eggs… such a cheap and easy meal!
My girls seem to be little salt addicts – I can convince them to eat just about anything by adding a little bit of chicken stock powder. Our easiest ever quiche recipe is all the veges from the bottom of the fridge, softened on the stove or food processor. Milk and eggs with a touch of stock powder and herbs, plus 1/3 cup self-raising flour.
Put veges into a well oiled dish, pour eggs over and through and bake.
Yum, I add lentils to my bolognaise not the meat to the lentils.
Ps my boys only just learnt to eat eggs….so glad.
I have been looking at this recipe every Sunday while writing menus…every Sunday for about 2 months. It is currently simmering on the stove and smells delicious.
Thanks for the great idea.
Just finished making this – it is so good. I think I might prefer it to the meat version I have made for years . Thanks for sharing.
Wow!
This was A-MA-ZING! My kids ate it up!
Fab recipes and general parenting website. So pleased I stumbled across you via Instagram! Thanks for the inspiration xx
What size can of tomatoes do you use? 14.5? 28 oz? It’s cut off in the recipe.
It’s a 400gm tin of tomatoes, so that’s 14.5 oz :)
This was so good! My kids don’t normally eat new foods, especially not tomato, and they loved this! So did I!