- Prep time
- 10
- Cook time
- 45
- Skill level
- Low
- Serves
- 4–6
This simple vegan bolognese is an excellent example of a maximum approach to minimal ingredients.
The building block of this intensely flavourful ragu is the soffritto base — the classic mix of onions, celery and carrots is pushed further than usual, and cooks for around 15 minutes, which allows any water to cook out of the vegetables, deepening the flavours and drawing out sweetness. You will know it is ready when it starts to caramelise and the vegetables become silky.
The next step, the tomato paste, is also important. Tomato paste is a concentrate so it is already rich in flavour, but cooking it further, until it becomes dark and sticky, will release its earthiness and tanginess. This is a great rule of thumb when using store-bought pastes (such as curry pastes) — the more you cook it, the more intense the flavour will be.
Everyday green lentils are the body of this ragu. I love their heft and intense woodiness. They also hold their shape which offers a satisfying mouthfeel in a ragu like this one.
The ingredients I've used here are purposefully basic and pantry-friendly. I wanted to show that no fancy ingredients are needed to procure a hearty meal with indulgent flavours. Of course, if you wanted to make it fancier, there are many ways to do this:
- Replace the tomato paste with a spice paste like harissa or gochujang
- Add some woody herbs to the soffitto base — try rosemary, sage, parsley, thyme or fresh oregano
- Add more vegetables, such as fennel, leeks and mushrooms, to the soffritto. Stir in a leafy green like spinach or kale towards the end of cooking
- Mushrooms would add a nice texture to this ragu. You could either add some rehydrated porcini mushrooms to the soffritto (add the soaking liquid to the stock for extra flavour) or slice up some Swiss brown mushrooms and add it along with the lentils. Mushrooms will add a lot of umami to the ragu.
- This recipe is vegan but sometimes I like to finish my ragu with a swig of cream, which adds a velvety edge.
Apart from pasta, there are many ways to eat this lentil Bolognese ragu. Serve on top of polenta or rice, or top with pan-fried tofu or roasted veggies.
It's freezable too so make a huge batch to keep on hand. Leftover ragu will naturally look less saucy as the lentils continue to soak up liquid as they sit, so add a bit of water or vegetable stock to loosen up the mixture.
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Ingredients
Method
- 1.Heat a large Dutch oven or pot on medium-high heat. When hot, add the olive oil, onions, celery and carrots. Add 1 teaspoon of sea salt, a big pinch of black pepper and the sugar. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are very tender and starting to caramelise, 13–15 minutes.
- 2.Add the garlic, tomato paste, oregano and basil and stir until the paste has turned slightly darker and is sticking to the bottom of the pot, about 3–5 minutes. Add the lentils, diced tomatoes and 3 cups vegetable stock and stir well to combine. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 40–45 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until the lentils are completely tender. If at any time, the ragu looks dry, add a bit more vegetable stock. Once the lentils are tender and the ragu looks thick, turn off the heat and stir in the red wine vinegar.
- 3.Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions, until al dente. Drain and reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water.
- 4.Return the pasta to the pot and add enough of the lentil ragu to coat the pasta (you may not need to use all of it). Start by adding ½ cup of the pasta cooking water to loosen the ragu, adding more if required, and toss to combine. To serve, top with vegan parmesan cheese, basil, and drizzle with olive oil.
- 5.The ragu can be made and kept in the fridge for up to 5 days. To freeze, place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.