Picture this: It is fall and you are eating some lentil Bolognese and watching Halloweentown and drinking some cider. Well we can actually turn that dream into a reality with this super easy recipe.

Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect when I first made lentil Bolognese. Frankly, I kind of expected it to be stodgy or lacking flavor and texture because meat alternative recipes freak me out. I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious lentils are in this easy tomato sauce, and how satiated I felt after eating this hardy but still lightweight meal.

This lentil Bolognese is the perfect intro into legumes ever, seriously try it. Plus, it is made entirely of inexpensive pantry items! This dish is delicious and can easily fill up a family for dinner, for less than $10.

This recipe takes about 60 minutes, and makes about 4-6 servings (most of the 60 minutes is just simmering though).

Ingredients

• 1 Onion, diced
• A bunch of garlic (I use like 4-6 cloves personally)
• 6oz can of tomato paste
• 3 cups broth/stock (whichever kind you have/prefer)
• 16oz bag of dry lentils, soak for 1 hour before cooking
• 1/4 cup of walnuts, chopped
• 28oz can of whole tomatoes (or any tomatoes)
• 16oz of dried pasta (or 3 servings of homemade pasta)
• Oil, salt, pepper, seasonings of choice
  • I use turmeric, red chili flakes, thyme and oregano

Recipe

Before you start, make sure you soak your lentils in water 1 hour before starting this recipe!

1. Dice the onion, garlic, and chop the walnuts into small pieces
2. Sauté onions on medium-high heat until cooked. Deglaze with some of the broth if needed
3. Add the seasonings, and garlic, sauté for 1 minute
4. Stir in the tomato paste, sauté for 2 minutes, stirring often to not let it burn
5. Stir in the broth/stock, deglazing the pan
6. Add in the lentils and walnuts – simmer for 20 minutes. Stir a couple times
7. Add in the tomatoes (crush by hand or just add whole) – simmer for 20 minutes. Stir a couple times
8. Boil the pasta according to the packaging, make sure to salt the water (you crazy if you don’t salt pasta water)
9. Combine the pasta into cooked Bolognese sauce (save extra pasta water to add into the sauce if needed)
10. Enjoy! *

*optional: sometimes I add in some heavy cream before serving if I want it to be a bit creamy.

I really can’t talk this dish up enough, really it is so inexpensive and easy to make. There is minimal prep work and this dish can be made entirely of pantry items. You can make this meal for less than $10.

Pasta can sometimes be heavy, especially a Bolognese sauce. The lentil and walnut flavor adds a slightly meaty taste, while still letting this dish be so light to eat.

Let me know what you think!

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