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Top-down plate of tagliatelle tossed with lentil walnut bolognese, topped with parmesan and fresh basil leaves

Lentil Walnut Bolognese: Hearty, Meatless Pasta Sauce

A meatless bolognese made with brown lentils and toasted walnuts, simmered in tomato sauce and tossed with pasta.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Sauce
  • 3 tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 Yellow onion, diced medium
  • 1 Carrot, finely diced medium
  • 2 stalks Celery, finely diced
  • 4 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 cup Walnuts, roughly chopped (120 g); toasted
  • 2 cups Cooked brown or green lentils (380 g)
  • 3 tbsp Tomato paste
  • 1 can Crushed tomatoes (28 oz / 800 g)
  • 1/2 cup Red wine (120 ml); optional, or use extra broth
  • 1 cup Vegetable broth (240 ml)
  • 1 tsp Dried oregano
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 1 tsp Salt more to taste
  • 1/2 tsp Black pepper
To Serve
  • 400 g Tagliatelle or spaghetti
  • Parmesan or nutritional yeast for serving
  • Fresh basil, chopped for serving

Method
 

Make the Bolognese
  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery, cook 6 to 7 minutes until softened.
  2. Add garlic and toasted chopped walnuts, cook 2 minutes until fragrant.
  3. Stir in tomato paste, cook 1 to 2 minutes until it darkens slightly.
  4. Add cooked lentils, crushed tomatoes, red wine, broth, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
  5. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover partially, and cook 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
  6. Remove the bay leaf, taste and adjust salt.
Cook the Pasta and Serve
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente, about 9 to 10 minutes.
  2. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta.
  3. Toss pasta with the bolognese, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
  4. Serve topped with parmesan or nutritional yeast and fresh basil.

Notes

  • Toast walnuts before chopping, not after, so they don't turn oily in the pan.
  • Don't skip the tomato paste step, browning it deepens the whole sauce.
  • Sauce thickens more as it sits, so don't over-reduce it on the stove.
  • Use a wide, deep skillet so the sauce reduces evenly without scorching at the edges.