Lentil Bolognese Sauce

A Healthy Vegetarian Alternative

Jan 24, 2009 Robyn Gillam

Bolognese, one of the best loved Italian pasta sauces, is traditionally made with ground meat, tomatoes and seasoning.

While the tasty original recipe is off limits to vegetarians, a blend of lentils, carrots and soy sauce or tamari with lashings of garlic transforms it into a healthy and economical meal. Non-vegans can top it off with a tasty Italian-style grating cheese.

Lentil Bolognese Sauce

This recipe is enough for two people. Adjust quantities accordingly for more or fewer portions. You can also add red wine to the sauce while it is cooking.

Ingredients

  • ·Half a cup of brown lentils
  • 12 cloves of garlic or one small to medium-sized onion
  • Six small to medium-sized Roma tomatoes
  • One small can of tomato paste
  • One teaspoon of ground oregano
  • One large bay leaf
  • One large green pepper
  • Two small carrots or one medium-sized carrot
  • One tablespoon of dark soy sauce
  • Italian parsley
  • Your favourite grating cheese (optional)

Method

  1. The lentils should be prepared before cooking, unless they came to you in a plastic bag. They should be thoroughly wahed. Then check for and remove small stones and twigs.
  2. Put the lentils on to cook first. Place them in a saucepan of cold water and bring to the boil. Then turn the heat down to half strength. They are cooked when they have become soft and chewable.
  3. While the lentils are cooking, finely chop the garlic and/or onion. Place in a heated frying pan or skillet with hot sunflower or olive oil and brown lightly.
  4. Add the bay leaf and oregano to the garlic and/or onion.
  5. Loosely chop the green pepper and add to the pan. Cook for a minute or two with the other ingredients.
  6. Turn down the heat to half strength and add water and soy sauce or tamari.
  7. Cook for a minute or two and then add the tomato paste.
  8. Drain the cooked lentils and add them to mixture.
  9. Grate the carrot and add to the mixture, carefully stirring it in.
  10. Turn down to simmer and cover.
  11. Loosely chop up the tomatoes and add to the mixture.
  12. Put noodles on to cook.
  13. Cover and cook the mixture on a low heat for seven to ten minutes (the time it takes most noodles to cook).
  14. When the noodles are almost ready, chop a small handful of Italian parsley, add it to the sauce and cook for one minute.
  15. Serve the sauce with the spaghetti or other noodles and, if you eat cheese, sprinkle some (like Romano, Parmesan or Pepato) on top.

You can also make this a much richer sauce with addition of mushrooms (any sort you fancy). Add them just before the chopped tomatoes.

The copyright of the article Lentil Bolognese Sauce in Vegetarian Cuisine is owned by Robyn Gillam. Permission to republish Lentil Bolognese Sauce in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
lentils, carrots and tomatoes, Robyn Gillam, 2009 lentils, carrots and tomatoes