Vegan Lentil Walnut Bolognese
This deeply satisfying pasta sauce proves that a rich, meaty-tasting bolognese doesn't need any animal products to deliver the real deal. French green lentils hold their shape beautifully through a long simmer, while pulsed walnuts — toasted until golden and fragrant — add a hearty, almost crumbly texture that mimics ground meat in the most convincing way. A classic soffritto of onion, carrot, and celery builds the aromatic base, and a splash of vegan-certified red wine deglazes all those caramelized bits from the bottom of the pot for serious depth of flavor. Tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, soy sauce, and vegetable broth layer in savory complexity that keeps building over a 25–30 minute simmer until the sauce is thick, glossy, and clinging to every strand of pasta. The whole pot serves four, making it a solid weeknight dinner or a Sunday sauce worth doubling for the freezer. Finish it with nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan and a few fresh basil leaves, and it genuinely looks and tastes like something that took all day.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the sauce
- ¾ cup french green lentils (du puy), rinsed
- 2 cups water
- ¾ cup raw walnuts
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 medium carrots, finely diced
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup vegan-certified dry red wine (such as cabernet sauvignon or merlot)
Ingredient noteSome brands use animal-derived fining agents like gelatin during production. Look for bottles labeled vegan or check a resource like Barnivore.com.
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- salt and pepper, to taste
For serving
- 12 oz dry pasta (such as tagliatelle, pappardelle, or rigatoni)
- vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast, for serving (optional)
- fresh basil leaves, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the lentils and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 15–18 minutes, until the lentils are just tender but still hold their shape. Drain and set aside.
- 2
While the lentils cook, pulse the walnuts in a food processor 8–10 times until they are broken into coarse, irregular crumbles about the size of small peas — do not over-process into a paste.
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