Lentil Bolognese

The ultimate Lentil Bolognese cooked in the authentic style of Bologna: a thick red wine tomato sauce packed with nutritious meaty mushrooms and clean protein from beluga lentils. Easy, super delicious, plant based and good for you! One for the books that will make you go back for seconds!

Lentil Bolognese

Is there anything more Italian sounding than the word Bolognese..?! Any way you pronounce it, we all know what we are talking about: Saucy Luscious Deliciousness! This mushroom lentil Bolognese gets bonus points for delivering the authentic flavor but in a healthy way without any saturated fat and cholesterol. Finish with a good cold pressed extra virgin olive oil for a rich finish and enjoy it with pasta, a chunk of homemade bread and even on pizza. The very best!

About the Lentils

Black Beluga lentils are my choice for this ragu. They are a small type of lentil that get their name from their resemblance to Beluga caviar. I really love how they hold up to a long slow simmered sauce without turning into mush but becoming soft and buttery instead. Unlike their more earthy browns and green cousins, the black lentils have a more mild flavor profile that really picks up all the layers of flavor from the sauce without competing at all. All things considered, you can use pretty much any lentil you have in the pantry except for red ones, those will guaranteed turned into mush within 20 minutes and you don’t want to ruin this fabulous sauce. Puy lentils are a great option here as well, work with that you’ve got!

The Mushrooms

Common brown button mushrooms are perfect here, you don’t want anything fancy and wild and too special. They act as a thickener mostly to add volume, texture and nutrients to your sauce. I used brown because they are more nutritious but you can use the white baby Bellas if that’s what you you’ve got. Buzz them up in the food processor first using the Pulse button for a uniform shred.

Let’s Discuss Pasta Options

I have two favorites here: long wide noodles like pappardelle or tagliatelle and fluffy potato gnocchi! It’s a mood I guess stirred up by nostalgia…see what speaks to your heart. Any pasta with ridges like rigatoni will do the job as well. This is not the sauce for thin spaghetti and orzo like shapes, you want something with lots of surface for the sauce to coat. A big family style lasagna or pasta bake would be the perfect vehicle to serve this Bolognese and feed a crowd.

Useful Ingredient Notes

• The Aromatics – Like any Bolognese I started with the Holy Trinity of onion, carrot and celery. Peel and grate the carrot on a microplane grater or the smaller side of a box grater. I don’t want pieces of carrot in the sauce, you want it to kind of melt into the rest of the ingredients to provide body and natural sweetness without anyone knowing it’s there.
• Herbs – Bay + Rosemary are my go to for a slow simmered stews and sauces. You won’t really be able to taste them individually, they just contribute to the depth of flavor and aromas of the sauce.
• Umami – This deliciously savory meaty flavor profile actually comes from mushrooms and seaweed, in this case a little porcini mushroom powder and a small piece of dried Kombu. They can be omitted of course but if you have some please use them here. Besides umami the Kombu also adds much needed iodine and micronutrients to the final ragu. Not to brag but the depth of flavor you achieve with this is fantastic!
• Tomatoes – Would I tell you to use any other canned tomatoes besides San Marzano Tomatoes? NO! This is a very important detail to achieve the perfect sauce that is rich, not acidic but with a subtle and perfect natural sweetness. Start with the whole peeled tomatoes and crush them yourself into a rustic texture, you’ll want sauce but also some chunks throughout. I also suggest adding a little bit of double concentrated tomato paste in the very beginning to start building layers of flavor in every step.
• Red Wine – It wouldn’t be a true lentil Bolognese without wine, use a good enough for drinking table wine and your sauce will be fantastic. I like choosing something smooth with fruity notes like blackberries, cloves and such. I’m not a connoisseur nor do I drink so really the only wine in my house is for cooking, it must smell good! I hope that helps!
• Water – Because the lentils will be cooking in the sauce we must add liquid which will be absorbed by the lentils and reduced down into a luscious rich sauce. You might want to add more if your lentils are absorbing a lot, do so by adding 1/4 cup of water extra and simmer down your ragu until nice and thick.
• Nutmeg – traditionally a pinch of finely grated nutmeg is added at the end of a slow simmered ragu or stew. It brings all the flavors together and adds a “je ne sais quoi” luxurious subtle flavor, it’s really nice but don’t sweat it if you don’t have any.
• Nutritional Yeast – I call it kitchen gold dust, tastes like parmesan but adds tons of B vitamins and nutrients and extra umami flavor. Sprinkle it over everything and use the organic non-fortified kind.

Make Ahead + Storage & Reheating

This is one sauce that is best made ahead and tastes better the second and third day after all the flavors mingle together. It can be stored in the fridge up to a week or frozen in individual lidded containers or freezer bags. If frozen in containers make sure to leave an inch of space at the top for expansion. Thaw out in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove top in a skillet or sauce pan until bubbly. For canning make sure to follow the safety guidelines from the National Center for Home Food Preservation found HERE!

More Italian Favorites

• Cannellini Bean Soup
• Pasta Primavera
• Pizza Bread Focaccia <—DIVINE!
• Olive Bread
• Neopolitan Pizza Dough
• Potato Bread
• Italian Rosemary Biscuits
• Marinara Sauce
• Leek Potato Pasta
• Garlic BreadSticks
• Rosemary Shortbread Cookies

how to make the best mushroom lentil bolognese

5 from 2 votes

Lentil Bolognese

Print Recipe

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow or white onion finely diced
• 1 celery stalk diced
• 1 large carrot peeled + finely grated (I used a microplane grater)
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1.5 lb brown button mushrooms
• 1.25 cups black lentils rinsed well
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste double concentrated
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 x 28 oz canned San Marzano tomatoes whole
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1.75 cups water
• 1 tsp porcini mushroom powder OPTIONAL
• 3x3 inch piece kombu seaweed OPTIONAL
• 1/3 cup flat leaf Italian parsley roughly chopped
• 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 1.5 tsp fine sea salt
• 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• Pasta for serving: gnocchi or a flat noodle like pappardelle, fettuccine or tagliatelle.

Instructions

• Rinse the mushrooms well and cut them in half. Add to the bowl of a large food processor and using the Pulse button chop them up into tiny pieces.
  1.5 lb brown button mushrooms
• Preheat a large heavy bottom dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the onion, celery and garlic with a pinch of salt and chili flakes until softened and the veggies start to get a little golden color around the edges. Push the veggies to the side and drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil in the center then add the garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 35 seconds or so, don’t let it burn.
  1 medium yellow or white onion, 1 celery stalk, 1 large carrot, 4 garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• Stir in the tomato paste then add the mushrooms and turn up the heat. Continue cooking on high as they will release a lot of water and we want that to evaporate. Once most of moisture has evaporated add the lentils and stir well.
  1.5 lb brown button mushrooms, 1 Tbsp tomato paste, 1.25 cups black lentils
• Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Continue cooking until the wine has reduced by half. Add the bay and rosemary (+ porcini powder & kombu if using).
  1 cup red wine, 2 bay leaves, 1 sprig rosemary, 1 tsp porcini mushroom powder, 3x3 inch piece kombu seaweed
• Transfer the tomatoes to a large bowl and using your hand crush them but keep a few larger pieces throughout for texture. Add the tomatoes with all the juices to the pot with the lentils. Pour in the water, stir well and bring to a constant simmer on medium heat.
  2 x 28 oz canned San Marzano tomatoes, 1.75 cups water
• Partially cover with a lid and cook the sauce for 1 hour or until the lentils have cooked through and the sauce is reduced into a nice and thick ragu. Stir often making sure nothing sticks to the bottom and the tomato sugars don’t burn. Season with the sea salt and nutritional yeast half way. (TIP: If the lentils are absorbing more liquid than you’d like, you can add more water by 1/4 cup as needed).
  1.5 tsp fine sea salt, 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• Once the sauce is done to your liking stir in the parsley and finish with a grating of nutmeg. Adjust seasonings to taste with salt and pepper.
  1/3 cup flat leaf Italian parsley, 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• Toss with gnocchi or wide noodles and serve with extra parsley and chili flakes on top. (The sauce is best the second day after the flavors have had a chance to marry overnight. Only combine with as much pasta as you plan on eating right away and remember to discard the bay, rosemary sprig and kombu if using).
  Pasta for serving: gnocchi or a flat noodle like pappardelle, fettuccine or tagliatelle.

Video

Notes

• Storage - This is one sauce that is best made ahead and tastes better the second and third day after all the flavors mingle together. It can be stored in the fridge up to a week or frozen in individual lidded containers or freezer bags.
• The Lentils - Black Beluga lentils are my choice for this ragu. They are a small type of lentil that get their name from their resemblance to Beluga caviar. I really love how they hold up to a long slow simmered sauce without turning into mush but becoming soft and buttery instead. Unlike their more earthy browns and green cousins, the black lentils have a more mild flavor profile that really picks up all the layers of flavor from the sauce without competing at all. All things considered, you can use pretty much any lentil you have in the pantry except for red ones, those will guaranteed turned into mush within 20 minutes and you don't want to ruin this fabulous sauce. 
• Red Wine - It wouldn't be a true lentil Bolognese without wine, use a good enough for drinking table wine and your sauce will be fantastic. I like choosing something smooth with fruity notes like blackberries, cloves and such. I'm not a connoisseur nor do I drink so really the only wine in my house is for cooking, it must smell good! I hope that helps!

Nutrition

Calories: 265kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 821mg | Potassium: 1036mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 2410IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 6mg

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: lentil bolognese, lentil ragu

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 265kcal

Author: Florentina