What is lentil bolognese made of?

Red Lentil Bolognese Ingredients Vegetables: Dice one yellow onion, two medium carrots, and eight ounces of baby bella mushrooms . Tomato Paste: Use an entire can of tomato paste for a more complex flavor. Garlic: Mince three garlic cloves. Wine: Red wine adds richness and depth to the Bolognese sauce.

How do you bulk spaghetti Bolognese with lentils?

For Bolognese, chilli, stews etc I just pour some dried red lentils into the pot and add a bit of extra liquid if required . It's just like cooking rice or pasta, it just takes less time for them to absorb the liquid.

What is difference between ragù and bolognese?

Ragu sometimes includes vegetable chunks, properly prepared Bolognese does not. Ragu typically uses red wine, while Bolognese calls for white . Bolognese uses very little tomato, while ragu sauces often feature tomatoes for most of the sauce's bulk.

Why is bolognese so good?

As far as its taste, it will have a meaty heartiness from the browned meats, a sweet tang from the rich tomatoes, as well as an herbal kick from the various Italian spices used . If you've ever enjoyed a pasta dish with meat and tomato-based sauce, it was likely a variation of a bolognese recipe.

How do you deepen the flavor of bolognese?

The best tip for intensifying the flavour of your sauce is just to cook it slowly on a low heat for a long time . This reduces the sauce and intensifies the flavours – four hours is not uncommon for my bolognese.

What can I put in bolognese to give it more flavour?

Just add seasoning and the flavour will be completely different from what you're used to. You can add various herbs, too. Try a teaspoon of dried Italian mixed herbs (added at the start) or a tablespoon of fresh, chopped oregano (added towards the end) in the meat sauce.

How does Gordon Ramsay make the best spaghetti bolognese?

Recipe For Gordon Ramsay's Spaghetti Bolognese Meat. • 1/2 lb Ground beef. Produce. • 1 Carrot. • 2 cloves Garlic. • 1 Onion. ... Canned Goods. • 2 tbsp Tomato puree. Baking & Spices. • 1 tsp Black pepper. • 1 tsp Salt. Oils & Vinegars. • 2 tbsp Oil. Dairy. • 1/2 cup Whole milk. Beer, Wine & Liquor. • 2 tbsp Red wine.

What is Bolognese sauce made of?

Bolognese sauce is a classic Italian sauce for pasta made with ground meat such as beef or pork. It's slow cooked with a soffritto of onions, carrots, and celery, tomatoes, and milk to give it a creamy texture. Pronounced "bow-luh-nez," the sauce comes from the Bologna region of Italy, hence the name.

What is Bolognese meat made of?

What meat should be used for Bolognese? Traditionally, bolognese sauce is made with a combination of beef and pork (both ground sausage and pancetta). I've seen a few recipes that add veal to the mix and also some that add chicken livers.

What are lentils made of?

Lentils are edible seeds from the legume family . They're well known for their lens shape and sold with or without their outer husks intact. Though they're a common food staple in countries such as Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia, the greatest production of lentils nowadays is in Canada ( 1 , 2).

What does Bolognese come from?

Ragù alla Bolognese, referred to as Bolognese sauce, is a meat-based sauce originating from the city of Bologna in northern Italy . Bolognese sauce was served as a topping for tagliatelle, a flat, ribbon-like pasta, enjoyed by many in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.

Vegan Lentil Bolognese with Cashew Parmesan Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Bean

by: Gena Hamshaw

March14,2015

8 Ratings

Vegan Lentil Bolognese with Cashew Parmesan Recipe on Food52 (1)

Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 47 minutes
Serves 6

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

Nearly this entire meal can be made with pantry ingredients, which makes it ideal for last-minute entertaining or for a weeknight supper. There's some simmering involved, but the recipe is simple to make, and the leftovers keep (and freeze) beautifully. The cashew Parmesan is an optional but tasty topper: Keep some handy for pasta dishes, for sprinkling on grain bowls, or even for topping roasted vegetables. —Gena Hamshaw

Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients

For the vegan lentil bolognese:
2 tablespoonsolive oil, divided
1 cupyellow or white onion, chopped
1 large rib celery, chopped
2 medium-sized carrots, chopped
1 cupbutton mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cupbrown or green lentils, rinsed
1 28-ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoonstomato paste
¹/₂ cupred wine
³/₄ cupwater
1 tablespoonchopped fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 teaspoonsfresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoonsoregano, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pinchred pepper flakes
¹/₄ teaspoonsalt, or to taste
¹/₃ cupfresh basil leaves, chopped
12 ouncespenne or rigatoni pasta (or linguine, if you prefer)

For the cashew Parmesan:
1 cupraw cashews
¹/₄ cupnutritional yeast
³/₄ teaspoonsalt
1 teaspoonolive oil

Directions

For the vegan lentil bolognese:
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for 8 minutes, or until the onions are clear and all of the vegetables are soft.
Add the mushrooms and garlic. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft and have released some liquid and the garlic is fragrant.
Add the lentils, tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, water, rosemary, thyme, and oregano to the pot, along with a dash of red pepper flakes and the salt. Stir the mixture well, and bring it to a boil. Reduce it to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are cooked through but not mushy. If the mixture becomes overly thick (if it's tough to stir and no liquid is visible at the bottom), add some water by the 1/4 cup. When the sauce is finished, stir in the fresh basil.
When the sauce is fifteen minutes from being done, heat a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain the pasta and toss it with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.
Divide the pasta into six serving bowls and top with the bolognese sauce. Serve with an extra sprinkle of basil and cashew Parmesan (see below), if desired.

For the cashew Parmesan:
Add all the ingredients to a food processor fitted with the S blade. Pulse repeatedly, until the cashews are broken down, and then process the mixture until it's taken on a crumbly texture (similar to the size of grated parmesan). Serve with any pasta dish.
Stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container, the cashew Parmesan will keep for 2 weeks.

Tags:

Pasta
Italian
Cashew
Celery
Oregano
Parmesan
Red Wine
Thyme
Bean
Lentil
Carrot
Vegetarian

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32 Reviews

sarahhtk June 27, 2023

So delicious. We started cooking lentils separately and get excellent results every time. We have one non-mushroom lover in the family so we pulse the mushrooms in the food processor to disguise them. 100% success with raves from all. Accidentally forgot basil last night and it was still amazing.

veggiegirl September 29, 2020

Probably the best bolognese recipe I have every had! have to agree with the amount of liquid so played it by eye and added what I thought I needed, is usually more pasta sauce and some water. Also put in double the amount of garlic

fuzzytop July 18, 2016

Thanks, Honor.... that's a good description, bread crumbs and chicken soup. Maybe they've improved the product since the last time I tasted any, 20-30 years ago. Back then, it had an intense vegetable-protein flavor, very cloying. I'll pick up a small jar and try it again, although being a meat-eater (and vitamin-taker) I don't think I have a B12 deficiency.

fuzzytop July 17, 2016

I am not a vegetarian, but this recipe sounded good, right up until I saw "nutritional yeast", which (to me at least) is hyper-gakky. I'll be making it soon, but I'm leaving that out.

Honor H. July 18, 2016

My husband and I are vegans and use nutritional yeast a lot. It's very healthy because it is rich in vitamin B12. I think it taste a little like bread crumbs seasoned with chicken soup. However, it's has been a long time since I consumed chicken or chicken broth. You can sprinkle it on pasta and salads. As we age, we all struggle getting enough B12 because the body just isn't as efficient at absorbing it through the intestinal lining, so nutritional yeast is a cruelty free, healthy option. I hope this quells your "hyper-gakkiness" a little.

Elizabeth S. November 23, 2015

Could I throw all of this into the slow cooker and cook it that way instead?

Anthony R. May 20, 2015

I'd like to try this but I cannot stand mushrooms. Can I simply leave them out or would I need to substitute something in their place?

Honor H. April 6, 2015

I discard my lentils after six months or so, because when you buy them at the grocery they've been on the shelf for a while already. My husband and I made the sauce and the lentils turned out with a nice texture. I thought it was an excellent recipe.

Sally April 6, 2015

When are lentils old?

Jocelyn April 6, 2015

I was actually looking this up on the internet (looking up beans in general), and can't find an answer - except: when they take a loooooooong time to cook! One clue is whether they are past the expiration date. But for the most part, one really has little or no idea of actual storage time of dried legumes unless you yourself have had them on hand for years. It was suggested that soaking old dried legumes for a 24 hours rather than simply overnight often helps significantly.

jselt53 April 4, 2015

dissapointed. made this for my daughter who is vegan. the lentils never sufficiently softened despite 2.5 hours of cooking and adding extra liquid. I did substitute vegetable broth for the water. is that what could have spoiled it? next time i would pre-soak the lentils. the cashew parm was a nice touch.

Jocelyn April 4, 2015

I suspect the lentils were very old. Lentils should only take about 45 minutes or so to cook. I don't see how using vegetable broth could have made much if any difference.

Michelle S. October 20, 2016

Im a bit late to the party but salt can stop dried pulses from softening - I imagine there would have been a fair amount in the stock

Honor H. March 30, 2015

My husband and I made this dish and it was delicious. We did take some liberty with the recipe and added more carrots, celery, mushrooms and garlic. So full of flavor. I was very pleased with the outcome…a wonderful sauce.

Bess March 25, 2015

I made this for dinner the other night and it was fantastic! I agree it would make a great dish for entertaining. I planned on freezing some for later, but it was all gone...

Jocelyn March 22, 2015

Look forward to trying this as a sauce for zucchini noodles!

Julie March 22, 2015

Great idea about using this to stuff zucchini farant!

Suzanne A. March 22, 2015

Does this freeze well?

Gena H. March 22, 2015

Suzanne, it does indeed! For up to a month.