Plant-Based Bolognese
My plant-based Bolognese Sauce is oil-free and loaded with lentils, mushrooms, carrots, celery, onions and garlic in a creamy tomato sauce. This savory pasta is an Italian dish your whole family will love.
Ingredients
1 onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup carrots, finely diced
1 cup celery, finely diced
16 ounces mushrooms, chopped
1 cup brown or green lentils, if you have difficulty digesting lentils soak them in water 2-4 hours ahead of time
1 cup dry red wine
28 oz can diced tomatoes, do not drain
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
3/4 cup unsweetened, unflavored nut milk (my preference is cashew milk because its super creamy)
Whole-grain spaghetti or pasta of choice
Garnish with fresh parsley
Instructions
Prior to preparing Bolognese, soak lentils in fresh water for 2-4 hours. Drain and place in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, once boiling, bring to a simmer and cook until tender, about 10 minutes, drain and set aside.
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, saute garlic and onions, until onions are translucent. If you’re not familiar with how to saute without water, check out my guide on How To Cook Without Oil.
Next, add the chopped mushrooms, diced carrots, and celery and cook for a few minutes until the mushrooms are browned.
Add lentils to the vegetable mixture and stir.
Add the red wine, tomatoes, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, and Italian seasoning.
Stir and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for a good 30-45 minutes to reduce and thicken the sauce, as wells as cook the celery and carrots until tender.
Once the sauce has thickened, add the plant milk, stir and bring back to a simmer to heat through.
In the meantime in a separate pot, boil water and cook spaghetti according to package directions.
Drain the noodles. Serve spaghetti in individual bowls topped with sauce, Plant-based Parmesan Cheese and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Serves 8
