Red Lentil and Walnut Bolognese

Bolognese is a family staple. I don’t know about the rest of you, but it’s a big feature of our family meal plans. The kids have always loved it, and why wouldn’t they? Bolognese is easy, great value for money, filling, tasty, nutritious and frankly, the ultimate comfort food.

Although we are meat-eaters, we try to have a couple of meat-free meals every week. It’s good for the environment, great for your gut, and a fantastic way to eat a wider range of vegetables and other whole foods. So, obviously, we need a good plant-based bolognese recipe!

Over the last year or so, I’ve spent quite a bit of time learning more about nutrition, food, and where it comes from. This hasn’t put me off meat as such, but it has certainly made me think more about what we eat. We haven’t made huge changes, but there’s certainly a lot less cheap ham in our lives! 

It’s also meant that we’ve tried hard to eat a wider variety of whole foods, and a little bit less meat. This has led to experimentation with making meat-free versions of some of our favourites. Fortunately, my kids love beans and lentils, so this hasn’t been too tricky. 

Red lentils are one of my favourite meat substitutes. They taste great, and have a texture that isn’t miles away from minced beef. 

A lentil bolognese is lovely, but many of the recipes I found seemed to lack something. Adding walnuts just gives you something extra in terms of flavour and texture. I also reduced a lot of steps that some recipes were using.

For example, you don’t need to soak your lentils if they are in a recipe like this that allows them to simmer in sauce. It’s just a waste of time. Adding stock and tomatoes at the same time also means that the ingredients still have time to simmer and build flavour, but you aren’t waiting for ages.

Why You’ll Love it

• Walnuts are full of healthy fats, which most of us don’t get enough of. 
• It’s high in fibre, again something most of us need to boost. 
• It’s delicious.
• The kids will love it!
• It’s full of simple ingredients – you don’t need anything fancy. 

Ingredients, Variations and Substitutions

Olive Oil

Yellow Onion 

Garlic Puree – As part of my quest to eat less ultra-processed food, I really need to start using fresh garlic. But I haven’t yet. You can! I’d say 4 cloves, crushed. 

Dried Oregano

Dried Thyme – Again, fresh is great. But dried is convenient. Balance! If you prefer, basil instead of oregano and thyme, or just a tablespoon of Italian mixed herbs, is great. 

Sea Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper 

Tomato Puree

Dry Red Wine – You can skip this and the step that comes with it entirely if you want to. 

Vegetable Stock

Red Lentils

Walnuts – I buy a pack from the baking aisle and crush them with a rolling pin. You could try cashew nuts too if you prefer them generally. 

Passata

Balsamic Vinegar – this isn’t essential, but it adds a really nice depth to the flavour. 

Spaghetti – To serve. Use other pasta if you prefer. 

Parmesan – Again, just to serve, skip it if you prefer. When I take my leftovers to work, I top with grated cheddar. It’s also worth noting that Parmesan is the only ingredient that isn’t suitable for vegans, so if you are looking to make this a vegan bolognese, skip it or add a plant-based alternative. 

Other things that you can add include diced carrots and celery for a traditional bolognese sauce, mushrooms, which I absolutely would add but my kids don’t like them, and crushed tomatoes instead of passata. 

You’ll Also Need

I make it in a large, non-stick frying pan, but any flameproof pan or dish is fine. I also use a chopping board, sharp knife, spatula, large saucepan and colander. You’ll also need a grater if you are adding Parmesan. 

How to Make Red Lentil and Walnut Bolognese – Step-by-Step Instructions

Full, easy-to-follow instructions and quantities are available in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step One

Heat a large non-stick, flameproof pan over a medium heat on the hob. 

Step Two

Add the oil and warm for a minute or two. 

Step Three

Add the onions with a pinch of salt and pepper and fry for 10 minutes, stirring often. Don’t skimp on this time.

Step Four

Add the garlic and herbs and fry for 1 minute. Fry for a little longer if you are using fresh garlic cloves. 

Step Five

Stir in the tomato puree and fry for 1 minute, stirring constantly until the onions are red and sticky. They’ll start to form clumps. 

Step Six

Pour in the wine and simmer for 3 minutes until it’s nice and jammy. Stir fairly regularly. 

Step Seven

Pour in the stock and stir well. Add the lentils, walnuts and passata. Mix it all really well. The walnuts might make the sauce look a bit funky. Don’t worry, it will all come together. 

Reduce the heat if necessary, maintaining a low simmer. I tend to turn it right down.

Step Eight 

Simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. If it’s too thick at any point, add a splash of water. If it needs longer to thicken, go for it. 

Step Nine

Meanwhile, cook and drain your pasta according to the package instructions. I use spaghetti and simmer it for around 10 minutes in salted water. Cook yours to suit you. 

Step Ten

After 30 minutes, stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

Expert Tips and Tricks

My only tip for this recipe is to really take your time! Give the onions the full ten minutes, and the sauce a good 30 minutes. You can go longer, but I don’t recommend reducing it. It needs this long for the sauce to thicken and the flavours develop. If at any point it seems too thick, add a little water. 

Leftovers and Storage

You can absolutely keep this for another day! If possible, I recommend making fresh pasta, but maybe this is because I don’t have a microwave!

Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days, or in the freezer for up to two months. Reheat in the microwave, or in a pan over a low heat until piping hot. If frozen, make sure you thaw fully in the fridge first. 

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