# Red Lentil Bolognese

This red lentil bolognese is a pantry-friendly, plant-based pasta sauce that is thick, rich, and surprisingly meaty.

- Cuisine: Italian
- Category: Sauce & Condiment
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1.5 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 5 oz tube of tomato paste
- 0.5 cup dry red wine
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup red lentils, soaked for 30 minutes
- 0.25 cup walnuts, crushed finely
- 14.5 oz canned crushed tomatoes (or whole peeled tomatoes)
- 12 -16 oz long, wide pasta (tagliatelle, pappardelle, or fettuccine) OR rigatoni
- 1 tablespoon high-quality aged balsamic vinegar
- Fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley, chopped

## Instructions

1. Get your onions nice and brown to build a savory base for the pasta sauce.
2. Add in some garlic and dried herbs.
3. Cook down an entire tube of tomato paste.
4. Add a generous glug of red wine (optional).
5. Add red lentils and walnuts to the flavor base.
6. Cook until you end up with a thick and rich sauce.
7. Toss the sauce with cooked pasta.

## Tips

- Since this recipe uses a lot of tomato paste, seek out tubed tomato paste instead of canned. Tube varieties are preserved with salt (canned tomato paste usually use citric acid) so the flavor is purer, richer, and more seasoned. And there’s no tinny aftertaste.
- The red wine adds a richer body and flavor, but if you can’t have alcohol, just skip it.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.instagram.com/p/DTLL0Q8AmHA/
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/5fe7890b-3b6b-4bde-8576-2395f95fbed1
- Extracted: 2026-01-15

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt