Lentil Bolognese, Easy to Make, High Protein and Vegan

When the weather is cold, nothing beats a warm bowl of Lentil Bolognese! However, I much rather spend my time cuddled up in a blanket watching a movie or reading a book than spending hours in the kitchen to make one meal. This Vegan Lentil Bolognese gives you the best of both worlds. You can spend more time enjoying the relaxation that cold, winter day while the spaghetti squash roasts in the oven and the Lentil Bolognese cooks on the stove. So what are you waiting for?! Let’s get cooking!

Ingredients

• Spaghetti Squash, halved and seeded
• Carrots, 1 cup diced
• Sweet Onion, chopped
• 1 28 oz can of Hunt’s Crushed Tomatoes
• Green Lentils, 1 cup
• 1 TBSP of minced or chopped garlic
• Olive oil (for cooking)
• Oregano, 1 TBSP
• Basil, 1/2 TBSP
• Pepper, to taste
• Salt, to taste

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F
• Line and grease a baking sheet with foil. Place the spaghetti squash face down on the tray and put into the oven.
• Check the spaghetti squash in 20 minutes and turn the tray for even caramelization. Will probably take about 40 minutes total, which will time out well for the Lentil Bolognese to cook.
• Pour olive oil into a large saucepan, add in the garlic and simmer on low until the garlic has some caramelization
• Chop + dice the onion and carrots, add into the saucepan
• Simmer over medium heat until softened (about 10 minutes)
• Add in the crushed tomatoes, green lentils and all the spices
• Stir until combined and let simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Keep stirring until the flavors are fully combined and lentils are cooked
• Once cooked, get yourself a bowl and fill up that spaghetti squash with your Vegan Lentil Bolognese

Notes

• Lentil Type : I used green lentils but I’m sure others will work as well, I just haven’t tested it yet
• The spaghetti squash is a great alternative to pasta for this Lentil Bolognese, however, you could also use zoodles or any other veggie pasta as your base! You could even use regular pasta if that’s what your body is craving 🙂
• To add a little spice, feel free to add some cayenne or crushed red pepper to the Lentil Bolognese, because everyone needs a little spice in their life!
• If you liked this recipe, you will also like : Vegan Pumpkin Chili and my Vegan, Spiced Lentil Curry, which is served in a sweet potato boat!