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Home » Recipes » Dinner

Lentil Bolognese Recipe (Vegan + Gluten Free)

By Erin · January 6, 2020 · Updated October 3, 2021 · 52 Comments

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bowl of pasta with red sauce and text overlay

This easy lentil bolognese recipe is a quick weeknight meal that just so happens to be vegan and gluten free. It's filled with flavor and a great way to switch up pasta, plus it comes together in under 30 minutes!

a bowl of pasta with red sauce

Turns out, I'm a huge fan of lentil bolognese! Ok so I already knew I was, and I already knew it was incredibly easy to prepare, but I really like it. The texture of the lentils does a great job at mimicking meat--and include protein--so it really is a complete meal.

Why you'll love this lentil bolognese

  • It's vegan AND gluten free, so anyone can enjoy it
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes, making it a quick weeknight dinner
  • The flavor is incredible and it's a great way to sneak protein into a vegetarian dish

ingredients in small bowls

Ingredient notes

  • Lentils: The recipe calls for green or brown lentils because those are going to provide the best texture in this dish. You should be able to find them in the Indian food aisle, or near the rice and beans.
  • Mushrooms: White or baby bella work best.
  • Diced tomatoes: I always prefer fire roasted diced tomatoes because they have more flavor, but you can use whatever is in your pantry.
  • Pasta sauce: Use your favorite kind! I used an arrabbiata sauce for a little extra heat, but any sauce will work.
  • Pasta: Again, use what you have. If you want to keep this recipe gluten free, opt for a gluten free pasta.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Cook the pasta. This part is easy--just cook pasta over the stovetop as you normally would.

Step 2: Sauté the vegetables. Don't worry, this is easy too! Start by sautéing the onion, garlic, mushrooms, and spices until they're soft. The mushrooms help to add a little more texture and nutrition to this dish, so don't omit them! If you hate mushrooms, use shredded carrots instead.

how to make lentil bolognese

Step 3: Make the sauce. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, lentils, and water and stir so that everything is mixed together. For the diced tomatoes, don't drain out any of the liquid; instead, pour the entire can into the skillet. Bring the bolognese to a simmer and simmer for approximately 25 minutes, stirring occasionally until the lentils are cooked. If it seems too thick, add an additional ¼ cup of water.

Make sure to do a taste test before serving! I used arrabbiata sauce (spicy tomato sauce) and the ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, which I thought was the perfect amount of flavor. If you use a more traditional sauce and want to add more spice, add more red pepper flakes. Or, omit the spice altogether and add some chopped fresh basil.

FAQs and Expert Tips

Can I substitute red lentils?

I wouldn't, and here's why. Though red lentils may seem quite similar to green and brown, they're actually going to provide an entirely different texture because they fall apart when cooked, therefore creating a mushier texture. The green or brown lentils will actually have a little bit of a bite to them--they'll be cooked of course, but certainly not mushy.

How should I store this?

Be sure to store any leftover pasta in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Can you freeze bolognese?

Yep! If you want to make this ahead and store it in the freezer, wait until it comes to room temperature, then transfer it to a plastic freezer-safe bag and freeze it for up to 3 months.

  • To reheat: invert the plastic bag and dump the bolognese into a large pot or dutch oven. Add ¾ cup water, then bring mixture to a simmer. Place a lid on top, and simmer it for 25-30 minutes until it's completely thawed.

a bowl of pasta with lentils and red sauce

More pasta recipes you'll love:

  • Vodka Rigatoni
  • Fresh Tomato Spaghetti Squash Pasta
  • Garlic Zucchini Noodle Pasta

If you made and enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below!

a bowl of pasta with lentils and red sauce

Lentil Bolognese Recipe (vegan + gluten free)

This easy lentil bolognese recipe is a quick weeknight meal that just so happens to be vegan and gluten free. It's filled with flavor and a great way to switch up pasta, plus it comes together in under 30 minutes!
4.98 from 40 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Erin

Ingredients

  • .75 lb. favorite gluten free pasta
  • ½ cup yellow onion diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 cup white mushrooms diced
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • pinch of salt and pepper
  • 14 oz. fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 24 oz. favorite pasta sauce*
  • 1 cup lentils (green or brown) rinsed
  • 2 cups water or more (see notes)

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta over the stove as you normally would.
  • In a large skillet, add the onion, garlic, mushrooms, oregano, red pepper, salt and pepper, along with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and sauté for 3-5 minutes until the onion and mushrooms are soft.
  • Next, add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, lentils and water and stir to combine. Place a lid on the skillet, bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer it for 18-25 minutes, or until lentils are cooked, stirring occasionally.
  • Serve lentil bolognese over pasta, sprinkle with additional red pepper flakes (+ parmesan cheese if not vegan) and enjoy!

Video

Notes

*I love using a spicy tomato sauce--like an arrabbiata sauce--for this! It gives it even more flavor. 
*If the lentils still aren't cooked after 25 minutes and/or have absorbed all of the liquid, add an additional ½ cup water, stir everything together and cook for 5 more minutes. The amount of water you need largely depends on the size of the skillet you're using. I recommend a large skillet, as the lentils will cook faster and more easily. 
Lentil substitution: I've found that using red lentils instead of green or brown results in an entirely different texture. The red lentils fall apart when cooked, resulting in a mushier texture. If you can, try to use green or brown lentils. 
You CAN freeze this recipe! Simply make it, then wait for it to come to room temperature before scooping it into a plastic bag and storing it in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat: invert plastic bag and pour contents into a large pot or dutch oven. Add ¾ cup water, then simmer mixture with a lid on for 25-30 minutes, or until it's thawed. 

Nutrition

Calories: 444kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1105mg | Potassium: 896mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1208IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 6mg
Did you Make this Recipe? Tag me Today!Leave a comment below and tag @thealmondeater on Instagram!
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About Erin

Erin is the recipe developer, writer and photographer behind the healthy food blog, The Almond Eater. She's been blogging since 2014 and loves to create food for many different diets, including vegan, gluten free and/or Whole30 recipes.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. )eannie says

    June 25, 2021 at 6:29 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe! I added smoked paprika and it was delicious. Thanks for this.

    Reply
  2. Kay says

    April 11, 2021 at 4:22 pm

    I made this as written with a few additions. I added 1 whole vidalla onion chopped and 8 ounces of baby Bella mushrooms chopped. I also added 2 TB of tomato paste to the vegetables. I brought the lentils and sauce to a boil and then reduced to low for 40 minutes covered and then uncovered for 10 minutes. The lentils were cooked nicely and this was not watery at all.....possibly due to the additional vegetables and the increased cook time. This was a wonderful dish that everyone in my family loved. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      April 12, 2021 at 6:43 am

      Love the additions your made, and so glad everyone enjoyed it!

      Reply
  3. Kay says

    April 06, 2021 at 5:21 pm

    Hello. The picture looks amazing. I would love to try to make this. Due to the comments about this being too watery due to the water needed to cook the lentils..........should I cook the lentils in a separate pot and then just add them in at the end without adding additional water to the recipe to prevent this from being watery?

    Reply
    • Erin says

      April 06, 2021 at 5:57 pm

      Hi! You can if you want to... I've made this several times and never had that issue. If you want, you could start with just 2 cups of water, and then make sure to stir occasionally and if the lentils aren't cooked after 20 minutes then I'd add the extra 1/2 cup water. Give that a try and let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  4. Jasmine says

    March 13, 2021 at 10:50 pm

    I unfortunately found this to be way too watery - the diced tomatoes have water in the can and the amount extra water created a soup. It didn’t thicken up even after over 20 mins of simmering. Could this be changed to only 1 cup of water? Delicious flavor but sadly not thick enough.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      March 14, 2021 at 10:36 am

      Hi Jasmine -- I'm so sorry this didn't work out. Did you stir it occasionally while it was simmering? That should help it to thicken. Typically without adding the extra water, the lentils won't cook.

      Reply
  5. Kathleen says

    March 09, 2021 at 9:10 am

    You can't beat a classic spag bol! I agree about only using green or brown lentils. I make mine with green lentils and they stay nice and firm. Looking forward to giving your version of a vegan bolognese a try 🙂

    Reply
  6. darlene Scholten says

    January 16, 2021 at 3:11 am

    aS A Diabetic i was not able to make this as the carbohydrate count was too high.What might you suggest.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      February 21, 2021 at 10:43 am

      Maybe "Zoodles" .... zucchini cut into ribbons/noodles to replace the pasta?

      Reply
    • Dawn says

      December 14, 2021 at 7:09 pm

      Yeah, you probably want to skip meals with pasta.

      Reply
  7. Kandie Kane says

    January 10, 2021 at 8:20 pm

    5 stars
    I cheated a lil bit and added pork and beef. But you'll be proud that I used the mushrooms. This was my first time trying this and in fact, I'd never heard of it. Isn't it amazing how food brings culture together! I also used tri colored pasta for fun. Very easy. Very delicious. Thanks!

    Reply
  8. Laura Wellfair says

    January 06, 2021 at 11:31 am

    5 stars
    This was a lovely meal and everyone enjoyed it could only get normal tin chopped tomatoes. I will be making this again .

    Reply
    • Erin says

      January 06, 2021 at 1:04 pm

      Thanks Laura--glad it was a hit!

      Reply
  9. Margie Sutej says

    November 16, 2020 at 4:58 pm

    I have a lot of recently ripened Roma tomatoes I need to use up. Could I use those and what extra spices do I need to add?

    Reply
    • Erin says

      November 16, 2020 at 7:34 pm

      Yes you could use those! I don't think you'll need to add extra spices.. maybe just a little extra salt and/or red pepper flakes.

      Reply
  10. Kris says

    August 26, 2020 at 10:53 pm

    4 stars
    This was delicious! It was an easy prep too. I used Raos Marinara. I wanted to
    make it spicy but I knew my littles
    one wouldn’t like it so I just added red pepper flakes to
    mine. I would make this again!

    Reply
  11. kelly says

    August 07, 2020 at 11:31 pm

    I'm looking for recipes with high protein and easy to cook and found this one. Will canned lentils be ok?

    Reply
    • Erin says

      August 08, 2020 at 8:05 am

      I think you can use canned lentils, but you won't need to cook this for nearly as long. I'd combine everything and then simmer for maybe 5 minutes? Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
      • Jaime says

        September 08, 2020 at 6:09 pm

        If using canned lentils. Do I omit the 2 1/2 cups water?

      • Erin says

        September 17, 2020 at 11:00 am

        Apologies for the delay -- you would still need to add water, but definitely not as much. I'd add 1/2 cup and go from there.

  12. Sarah says

    June 11, 2020 at 11:33 pm

    5 stars
    Loved it! So easy and delicious!

    Reply
  13. Lisa says

    May 23, 2020 at 1:26 pm

    5 stars
    Made this Bolognese recipe today and it turned out great! My husband loved it over pasta and I ate it over my roasted potatoes!!! It turned out a bit more watery than I thought it would but still delicious. I used 1/2 reg sauce and 1/2 Arrabbiata sauce only because my husband doesn’t like really spicy foods. Thank you for a fabulous recipe!
    @thealmondeater

    Reply
  14. Stacy says

    April 28, 2020 at 8:15 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! Even my meat-loving son gobbled it up....and it is so easy to make.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      April 28, 2020 at 8:49 am

      This just made my day Stacy! So glad your son liked it 🙂

      Reply
    • Corina says

      April 30, 2020 at 1:14 am

      Could this be done with red lentils? I don’t know my lentils very well but I have a huge package of red waiting to be used.

      Reply
      • Erin says

        April 30, 2020 at 7:32 am

        Technically yes, though the texture will be off. I believe red lentils cook more quickly than green/brown, so if you go that route, I wouldn't cook them for as long.

  15. Hannah says

    April 26, 2020 at 5:27 pm

    Hi, Will green lentils work also? Seems I bought the wrong kind!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      April 26, 2020 at 6:09 pm

      Yes! Green or brown lentils work great.

      Reply
  16. emily says

    April 15, 2020 at 3:49 pm

    Excited to make this. I am allergic to mushrooms -- what would you substitute?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      April 15, 2020 at 4:27 pm

      Hi! If you can't do mushrooms, I'd try shredded carrots instead.

      Reply
  17. ElleK says

    April 13, 2020 at 8:15 pm

    5 stars
    Simple and very tasty! Husband approved too. Will definitely make this again.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      April 14, 2020 at 9:13 am

      That's awesome--I'm glad it's husband approved!

      Reply
      • Daniel Saucedo says

        May 15, 2020 at 12:25 am

        Just “converted” to veganism & have been looking for tasty recipes. I’m currently making this and cannot wait. Thank you so much!

  18. Michelle says

    March 08, 2020 at 1:42 pm

    Do you use canned lentils or dried? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      March 08, 2020 at 3:27 pm

      dry lentils!

      Reply
      • Katie says

        March 26, 2020 at 6:53 am

        I also used dried lentils and they had to cook for over an hour. I don't understand how yours cooked in 15minutes.

      • Erin says

        March 26, 2020 at 5:04 pm

        Hi! I just adjusted the recipe to add more water, but they shouldn't take any more than 25 minutes to cook. Make sure you rinse the lentils beforehand, and that you bring the mixture to a boil first, then reduce heat to a simmer for 20-25 minutes. Hope this helps!

      • Katie says

        March 29, 2020 at 12:50 am

        Thanks, I'll try that next time.

      • Stephanie says

        April 20, 2020 at 5:38 am

        sometimes adding salt with the water can increase the cooking time of legumes. Also, if they are older they are older they can take longer. If you want to be on the safe side you can also soak them while preparing the rest, then drain and add them.

    • Caitlin says

      August 08, 2020 at 4:59 am

      5 stars
      This recipe is so so delicious!! Will definitely be making it again!

      Reply
  19. Rochelle Zirdum says

    February 17, 2020 at 3:28 pm

    5 stars
    I was delighted to learn that this dish tastes SO much richer as a leftover! I brought a big batch in for work and am munching away in tastebud heaven!

    Reply
  20. Alex says

    January 09, 2020 at 5:48 pm

    Looks delish! I love to add red wine to my vegan Bolognese sauce 🙂

    Reply
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