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    Walnut and Lentil Bolognese

    Boldly flavored, super hearty and incredibly easy, this vegan walnut and lentil bolognese recipe takes your plant-based eating goals to new heights.

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    Walnut Vegan Bolognese with lentils with pasta on a plater with a serving spoon

    This post is in partnership with California Walnuts. All opinions are our own.

    A Hearty, Easy Vegan Bolognese

    Have you noticed how often our superfast recipes call for a jar of marinara? A store-bought jar of marinara is such a beautiful thing—it’s a shortcut that doesn’t short. Tomatoes are an ideal food for preserving and jarred marinara sauce is no exception—loaded with wonderful, slow cooked tomatoes and herbs, it’s a time-saver that really delivers. And in this case, it pairs up with lentils and walnuts to make a flavorful, rich vegan bolognese sauce that packs a huge nutritional punch, too! Healthy, hearty, vegan, rich, quick, easy, yummy—this walnut and lentil bolognese is an update on childhood favorite and a weeknight superstar.

    dried past, bowl of walnuts, bowl of lentils, garlic, shredded carrots, olive oil celery, onion and marinara

    Let’s Talk About Walnuts & Nutrition

    It’s usually this time of year that you’ll find us in our boots tromping across farms as it’s peak harvest season across America. This year, as with many things in 2020, things were a little different. We recently had the opportunity of exploring California walnut orchards in partnership with California Walnuts by way of a virtual tour. As much as we wished we could be there in real life, the valuable information learned was not lost on us. We got to hear about the sustainability practices that walnut growers use, some of the health benefits of walnuts and the importance of proper storage. Beyond learning more about walnut cultivation, we also had the opportunity to discuss how we can incorporate walnuts into those family recipes we all hold dear, like this bolognese.

    So, where exactly do walnuts come into our bolognese recipe and why? Well, the answer is two-fold. Firstly, walnuts have a richness that gives the bolognese sauce that hearty, meaty quality that we crave when we think of bolognese. Secondly, they contain nutrients—in addition to protein (4g/oz), fiber (2g.oz) and magnesium , walnuts are loaded with ALA, the plant based omega-3 (2.5g/oz) which is a “good fat” that supports heart health in myriad ways. Omega-3 ALA can’t be made by the body and has to come from food, like walnuts. ALA has been associated with benefits for heart health, brain health and inflammation. Plus, any walnuts that you have left over from making this sauce are great for snacking, or for adding to your favorite cookie recipe. Or even your favorite giant cookie recipe.

    vegan walnut and lentil bolognese in a dutch oven with a wooden spoon

    How to Buy and Store Walnuts

    We mentioned storage above, but we wanted to talk briefly about it here because it is really important! Most nuts are pretty high in fat, so they don’t have an endless shelf life. To get the most out of your walnuts, be sure to:

    • Buy them in sealed packaging. This will ensure that they’re as fresh as possible when you first get them.
    • Store them in the fridge or freezer. Once you’ve opened the package—or if you’ve bought walnuts from the bulk section—store the walnuts in the fridge. Or, if you want to store them for more than a month or so, store them in the freezer.

    Everything You’ll Need to Make This Vegan Bolognese

    Jarred marinara, brown lentils, and walnuts are the main things that create the big, satisfying flavors and textures of this vegan bolognese recipe. A quick pass through the bulk section of the market, a pit stop in produce, and you’ll have everything you need to make it. Here’s what you’ll need:

    • Olive oil
    • Carrots
    • Celery
    • Onions
    • Garlic
    • Walnuts
    • Lentils
    • Marinara sauce
    • Pasta
    vegan walnut and lentil bolognese in a dutch oven with a wooden spoon
    vegan walnut and lentil bolognese in a dutch oven with a wooden spoon

    How To Make Vegan Bolognese

    Whether you’re a devoted vegan, or simply taking a break from meat for the evening, this healthy, hearty bolognese recipe is sure to hit the spot. Here’s how to make it:

    1. Sauté carrots, celery and onions.
    2. Add the walnuts, lentils, jar of marinara sauce and a little salt and water.
    3. Simmer! Cook low and slow—much like you would with traditional bolognese—until the lentils are cooked through.
    4. Blend! If you want to, blend some of the bolognese sauce to create a creamier texture.
    5. Serve! Tossed with the pasta of your choice. If you don’t need it to be completely vegan, top it with a little parmesan cheese.
    Walnut Vegan Bolognese with lentils with pasta on a plater with a serving spoon

    Tools You’ll Need

    More Easy Vegan Recipes To Try

    Walnut Vegan Bolognese with lentils with pasta on a plater with a serving spoon
    Walnut Vegan Bolognese with lentils with pasta on a plater with a serving spoon

    Healthy Bolognese? Who Knew?!

    If you make this walnut and lentil bolognese recipe, let us know how you like it! Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!

    Related Recipes

    Walnut and Lentil Bolognese

    Originally published: October 19, 2020

    • Serves: 8
    • Prep Time:  30 min
    • Cook Time:  55 min
    • Calories: 320
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 cup grated carrots, (from about 3 medium carrots)
    • 1 cup minced celery, (from about 3 ribs)
    • 1 cup finely minced yellow onion (from 1 medium onion)
    • 6 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
    • 1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed
    • 1 quart vegetable stock or broth
    • 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce
    • 1 cup red wine, such as Pinot Noir
    • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
    • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
    • 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
    • 1 pound cooked pappardelle or tagliatelle, for serving
    • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

    Method

    1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the carrots, celery, and onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

    2. Stir in the walnuts, lentils, stock, marinara, wine, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, pepper, and salt, then bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and the lentils are tender, about 35 minutes.

    3. Transfer 2 cups of the sauce to the base of a blender, let cool briefly, and blend until nearly smooth. Return the sauce to the pan and stir to combine. (Alternatively, use an immersion blender to blend the sauce to your desired consistency directly in the pan; it should still have some texture to it.) Taste and season with salt as needed.

    4. Divide the cooked pasta between bowls and top with the bolognese. Top with parmesan, if using, and serve.


    To make in the Instant Pot:

    1. Turn on the saute mode and pour in the olive oil. Once the oil is glistening, add the carrots, celery, and onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

    2. Stir in the walnuts, lentils, stock, marinara, wine, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, pepper, and salt. Secure the lid, making sure the vent is closed. Set to pressure cook or manual mode for 10 minutes. Naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes before manually releasing the remaining pressure.

    3. Transfer 2 cups of the sauce to the base of a blender, let cool briefly, and blend until nearly smooth. Return the sauce to the Instant Pot and stir to combine. (Alternatively, use an immersion blender to blend the sauce to your desired consistency directly in the Instant Pot; it should still have some texture to it.) Taste and season with salt as needed.

    4. Divide the cooked pasta between bowls and top with the bolognese. Top with parmesan, if using, and serve.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories320
    • Protein10 g
    • Carbohydrates23 g
    • Total Fat19 g
    • Dietary Fiber7 g
    • Cholesterol0 mg
    • sodium344 mg
    • Total Sugars7 g

    Walnut and Lentil Bolognese

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • louise Grodesky

      can we freeze this sauce?

      Sure!

    • Michele

      Also, wondering if you have a favorite jarred sauce?

      Rao's is our favorite but it's on the speedier side.

    • Michele

      This looks so good! Is the pasta you used papparadelle? Thanks.

      Yes! Hope you enjoy Michele!

    • Sheryl Goodling

      Can you make this a day ahead?

      Sure!

    • Jen

      So delicious, kids loved it!

      Thanks Jen! glad you hear it!

    • Joseph Korona

      Made it without any changes and it was very good. Lots of leftover sauce which will make a great soup base.

      Thank you Joseph, we are so happy you enjoyed it!

    • Bethany

      This was great! Yes I'm one of those cooks, who the recipe is the starting idea and here's what I actually did. Being a hard core veggie fanatic, I did sneak in a few more veggies into this recipe for my unsuspecting family: 1 shredded zucchini (mostly water and no flavor) and 1 cup of cooked pumpkin into the puree'd part (mostly fiber and no flavor) and reduced the broth by 1c. My homemade marinara from the freezer seemed a bit weak, so I also added about 2T tomato paste to up the flavor. Also you can omit the oil and saute the veggies in broth to start out and omit some of the fat. I was very happy with the texture and flavor. It made a big pot of sauce!

      So glad you enjoyed it Bethany and were able to adjust it for your family!

    • Pamela J Castaldi

      This was delicious! I was pleasantly surprised because I thought it might just taste like lentils but the flavors were much more complex and delicious.

      Thanks Pamela, so happy you loved it!

    • Rita

      Bloody good, so much flavour and so easy. You guys rock.

      Thanks so much Rita!

    • Dylan

      Best vegan bolognese recipe I have ever made. I will definitely be making this one again.

      Thanks Dylan, so happy you loved it!