Ingredients
Method
- Heat a deep sauté pan over medium-high heat and warm the oil or water. Once hot, add the minced onion, garlic, carrots, celery and a pinch of salt and pepper (and red chili flakes if you like). Stir often and sauté until veggies are golden brown and softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the minced mushrooms and walnuts. Stir occasionally and let everything cook down for 5 mins, until the mushrooms have shrunk by about 50%. Add a tbsp of water or veggie broth now and then to deglaze the pan if needed.
- Stir in the tomato paste, the dried basil, oregano and thyme, plus another pinch of salt and pepper until well combined. Cook about 3 mins, stirring to prevent burning.
- To deglaze, stir in the vinegar-water mix and with a wooden spoon scrape the bottom of the pot to release the tasty brown bits stuck to the bottom. Allow the vinegary vapours to cook out for a couple minutes.
- Stir in the lentils, crushed tomatoes, veggie stock, nutritional yeast and another pinch of salt and pepper and chili flakes. Cover with the lid, bring to a low boil then turn down heat to a simmer and let cook for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta noodles until just al dente, with still some firmness and chew. Reserve a cup of pasta water just in case you need to thin out your sauce as it cooks.
- After the 30 to 35 minutes, stir in the balsamic vinegar, taste it, and add the sweetener, more salt, pepper, pasta water and chili flakes as needed.
- Remove from the heat, and serve a ladle or two of the sauce over the cooked pasta noodles, tossing together if you like. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley or basil, and extra pinch of chhili flakes (optional), and a dusting of vegan parmesan cheese (optional). Enjoy!
Notes
Red wine + water for deglazing: If there's not much stuck on the bottom of the pot, you can leave out the water and just use the red wine vinegar. Alternatively, you could swap out the vinegar for a dry red wine instead. If before serving you feel the sauce needs more flavour or tang, add a splash of red wine vinegar at the end.
Slow Cooking: Have the time to slow cook it? Simply transfer the mixture into a slow cooker once combined and slow cook on high for 2 to 3 hours, or on low for 6 to 8 hours. Alternatively, if you don't want to worry about stovetop transfers, check out the Buydeem slow cooker I used in my YouTube recipe video for this Vegan Lentil Bolognese here! I love that I can do all of the cooking steps, from sautéing to slow cooking all in one pot. Use my code STEAMYVEGAN20 for 20% off!
Meal prep: simply divide servings of the bolognese into separate meal prep containers over cooked pasta and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.