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Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese

Name: Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 30 ml olive oil, divided; 150 g brown onion, finely chopped; 100 g carrot, finely diced; 75 g celery, finely diced; 200 g brown mushrooms, finely chopped; 12 g garlic cloves, minced; 45 g tomato paste; 140 g dry brown lentils, rinsed; 800 g crushed canned tomatoes; 500 ml vegetable broth; 400 g dry spaghetti

A rich and savory vegan bolognese sauce made with a classic aromatic vegetable base, lentils, and crushed tomatoes, served over al dente spaghetti.

Time45 min

LevelEasy

ToolStovetop

Yield

4 servings

×1

Units

Change equipment

Recipe diagramVegan Spaghetti Bolognese4 servings · ingredients flow left to right
PrepFinely dice the vegetables to create a traditional soffritto base.
PrepRinse the lentils thoroughly before cooking.
30 ml · 2 tbspolive oildivided	01Prep BaseHeat OilHeat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.1-2 minutesReady when Shimmering oil					06Main SimmerFinalize SauceMaintain a steady simmer on the ragu, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.Active simmerReady when Richly reduced texture	07FinishToss and ServeToss the cooked spaghetti directly into the ragu, adding splashes of reserved pasta water to help the sauce coat the noodles evenly. Serve hot.1-2 minutesReady when Sauce clings uniformly to pasta
150 g · 1 mediumbrown onionfinely chopped	01Prep BaseSauté VeggiesAdd onion, carrot, and celery to the pot.5-7 minutesReady when Soft and translucent
100 g · 1 mediumcarrotfinely diced
75 g · 1 stalkceleryfinely diced
200 g · 7 ozbrown mushroomsfinely chopped		02Add MushroomsCook MushroomsAdd chopped mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture and brown.5-8 minutesReady when Golden-brown and reduced
12 g · 3 clovesgarlic clovesminced			03AromaticsToast GarlicStir in minced garlic and tomato paste, cooking until fragrant.2 minutesReady when Deep red color and fragrant
45 g · 3 tbsptomato paste
140 g · 0.75 cupdry brown lentilsrinsed				04Simmer RaguSimmer SauceStir in lentils, crushed tomatoes, and vegetable broth. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until lentils are tender and sauce is thick.25-30 minutesReady when Thick, unctuous ragu that clings to a spoon
800 g · 28 ozcrushed canned tomatoes
500 ml · 2 cupsvegetable broth
400 g · 14 ozdry spaghetti					05Cook PastaBoil PastaMeanwhile, cook spaghetti in a separate pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.8-10 minutesReady when Al dente bite

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Why this works

Sweating the mirepoix and browning mushrooms build a deeply savory umami foundation, while lentils provide a hearty, meat-like texture without needing animal protein. Simmering allows the starches and tomatoes to meld into a thick ragu that clings perfectly to pasta.

Watch for

Watery sauce: Ensure the sauce simmers long enough without a lid so excess liquid evaporates, and use reserved pasta water to adjust consistency at the end.