Lentil Bolognese

This lentil bolognese busts two common food myths.

1. Pasta is not a high protein meal.

The truth is, you don’t need to eat meat to get enough protein (I write about this more here) and this 100% plant-based pasta recipe is proof. It packs about 25g of protein per serving, which is the top of the range of the recommended amount of protein to eat at each meal. The lentils are so versatile and provide the perfect texture and flavor to create a meat-free bolognese. If you are trying to eat more protein or just want to make sure you are getting enough, this is a great recipe!

1. If you want a vegetable dense meal, you must eat a salad.

The truth is, this bolognese is not only packed with protein, it has serves up about three servings of vegetables on each plate. Carrots, mushrooms, onions and tomatoes provide essential vitamins and minerals, not to mention a high amount of fiber rounding out this super nutritious meal.

I love to buy fresh pasta for this recipe as it typically has fewer ingredients, including fewer preservatives, making it easier to digest. Plus, I think it tastes so much better. I hope you enjoy this perfect pasta dish.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Servings and serving size: 4-5 servings of about ½ cup of pasta and 1 cup bolognese

Ingredients

1 cup green or brown lentils

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup yellow onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp chili powder

2 carrots, finely grated

1 cup crimini mushrooms, diced

1 cup tomato, diced

2 cups vegetable broth

1 large can crushed tomatoes (28oz)

1 bay leaf

10 oz of uncooked pasta

Directions

Soak the lentils in lukewarm water for 15 minutes. While the lentils soak, begin the bolognese by heating the olive oil in a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Once heated, add the diced onion and cook for 5-7 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and chili powder and sauté for another 3-5 minutes. Add the carrots, mushrooms and tomatoes and stir. Drain the soaking lentils from the water. Add the vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, bay leaf and the lentils to the stock pot. Turn the heat to medium high to bring the bolognese to a boil and then simmer on low for 20-25 minutes until the lentils are tender. While the bolognese is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook your pasta according to package instructions. Once the pasta is cooked, you can mix the pasta together with the bolognese in the stock pot or serve the bolognese on top of the pasta.