Vegan Lentil Bolognese with Tagliatelle
A deeply savory, slow-simmered ragù built on a finely diced vegetable base, browned mushrooms, red wine and brown lentils that turn tender and meaty. Tossed with ribbons of tagliatelle, it tastes like a Sunday sauce without any meat.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 20 min
- Total
- 1 hr 40 min
- Makes
- About 6 cups sauce with 1 lb pasta (6 generous servings)
Steps
Before you start
- Use brown or green lentils only. Red lentils collapse into mush and will not give the right texture.
- Dice the onion, carrots and celery as finely as you can (about ¼ inch / 6 mm). Small pieces melt into the sauce and give it body.
- Choose a dry red wine you would drink, such as Chianti, Merlot or Sangiovese. Avoid anything labeled 'cooking wine'.
- Check that your tagliatelle is egg-free if you are cooking for strict vegans. Many dried nests contain egg, while fresh pasta almost always does.
Prep the vegetables
- Finely dice the onion, carrots and celery into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces.
- Chop the mushrooms very finely, to about the size of peas.
- Mince the garlic.
- Rinse the lentils in a fine sieve and check for small stones.
- Keep the garlic separate from the other vegetables because it goes in later.
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Ready when: Vegetable pieces are small and roughly even in size.
Tip: A food processor works well. Pulse the onion, carrot and celery in short bursts, and the mushrooms separately, so nothing turns to paste.
Soften the soffritto
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat for 1 minute until it shimmers.
- Add the onion, carrots, celery and a pinch of salt.
- Cook, stirring every minute or so, for 10 minutes.
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Ready when: The onion is translucent and soft, the carrots are tender when pressed with the spoon, and the vegetables have shrunk and lightly colored at the edges.
Tip: Lower the heat if the vegetables start to brown quickly. You want them sweet and soft, not dark.
Brown the mushrooms
- Raise the heat to medium-high and add the chopped mushrooms.
- Cook, stirring often, for 7 to 8 minutes.
- They will first release water, then the liquid will evaporate and the pieces will start to sizzle and brown.
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Ready when: The pan looks dry, and the mushrooms are deep golden brown with browned bits on the pot bottom.
Tip: Browning the mushrooms fully is what gives this sauce its meaty depth, so do not rush this step.
Toast paste and garlic
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, oregano and thyme.
- Stir constantly for 2 minutes, spreading the paste across the pot bottom so it fries in the oil.
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Ready when: The paste darkens from bright red to brick red and smells sweet and fragrant.
Tip: If the garlic or paste begins to scorch, splash in 2 tablespoons of water and keep stirring.
Deglaze with wine
- Pour in the red wine and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot with the wooden spoon.
- Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes.
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Ready when: The wine has reduced by about two-thirds and the sharp alcohol smell has mellowed.
Add lentils and tomatoes
- Stir in the rinsed lentils, crushed tomatoes, 3 cups (720 ml) broth, bay leaves and the soy sauce.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring once or twice, which takes about 5 minutes.
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Ready when: The sauce is bubbling steadily across the whole surface.
Tip: Do not add extra salt yet. Lentils soften best before heavy seasoning, and the sauce will reduce and concentrate.
Simmer until lentils soften
- Reduce the heat to low so the sauce bubbles gently.
- Partially cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar.
- Simmer for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes and scraping the bottom.
- If the sauce looks too thick or starts to stick, stir in ¼ cup (60 ml) more broth at a time.
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Ready when: Bite a few lentils. They should be fully tender with no chalky or firm center, and the sauce should be thick and spoonable.
Tip: Tomatoes slow down lentil cooking. If the lentils are still firm at 40 minutes, simmer 5 to 10 minutes longer with a splash more broth.
Boil the pasta water
- While the sauce finishes simmering, bring a large pot with 5 quarts (4.7 L) of water to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Add the 2 tablespoons of salt to the boiling water.
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Ready when: The water is at a full rolling boil.
Tip: Time this so the water boils about 10 minutes before the sauce is done.
Finish the sauce
- Remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Stir in the balsamic vinegar.
- Taste, then season with about 1 teaspoon salt and plenty of black pepper, adding more until the flavors taste bright and rounded.
- If the sauce is thin, simmer uncovered over medium heat for 5 minutes.
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Ready when: The sauce holds a trail when you drag a spoon through it, and tastes savory with a gentle tang.
Tip: If it tastes flat, add a pinch more salt before adding more vinegar.
Cook the tagliatelle
- Cook the tagliatelle in the boiling water according to the package directions, usually 8 to 10 minutes.
- Before draining, scoop out 1 cup (240 ml) of pasta water.
- Drain the pasta in a colander.
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Ready when: The pasta is al dente: tender but still slightly firm in the center when you bite a strand.
Tip: Reserve the pasta water before draining. Its starch helps the sauce cling to the noodles.
Toss and serve
- Add the drained pasta to the sauce, or divide it among six bowls and spoon the sauce on top.
- If tossing, add ¼ cup (60 ml) of reserved pasta water and stir over low heat for 1 minute so the sauce coats the noodles, adding more water if it seems tight.
- Top with torn basil, black pepper and nutritional yeast, if using.
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Ready when: Noodles are glossy and evenly coated, with sauce clinging rather than pooling at the bottom of the pot.
Tip: Serve right away. Tagliatelle keeps absorbing sauce as it sits.
Good to know
Tips
- Finely dicing the vegetables and mushrooms creates the texture of a classic ragù. Larger pieces will taste more like vegetable stew.
- For a thicker, more cohesive sauce, mash a few spoonfuls of lentils against the side of the pot with the back of your spoon at the end of cooking.
- Always taste lentils for doneness rather than relying on the clock, since age and brand change cooking time.
- Finish with a drizzle of good olive oil on each bowl for extra richness.
Make ahead
The sauce tastes even better made 1 to 3 days ahead. Cool it completely, refrigerate in an airtight container, then reheat gently with a splash of water or broth. Cook the pasta fresh just before serving.
Storage & reheating
Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often, adding 2 to 4 tablespoons of water or broth to loosen. Store sauced pasta in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in a skillet with a splash of water. Do not keep sauce at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Substitutions
- dry red wine → Additional vegetable broth plus 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar. Use 1 cup (240 ml) broth. The sauce will be slightly less complex but still balanced.
- dried egg-free tagliatelle → Pappardelle, fettuccine, rigatoni or gluten-free pasta. Cook according to package directions. Wide, sturdy shapes hold the chunky sauce best.
- cremini mushrooms → Finely chopped walnuts (½ cup / 60 g), toasted. Add them at the tomato paste step instead of browning. This works for a mushroom-free version.
- soy sauce or tamari → Coconut aminos or 1 tsp miso paste. Coconut aminos is sweeter, so you may need a little extra salt. Dissolve miso in a bit of broth first.
