Name: Vegan Mushroom Lentil Bolognese with Spaghetti Squash (GF)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 Spaghetti Squash (medium sized); 1 tbsp olive oil; 1/2 tsp Salt; 1/2 tsp pepper; 1 onion (diced); 4 cloves garlic (minced); 1 carrot (shredded); 1 stalk celery (small dice); 1 teaspoon paprika; ½ teaspoon dried basil; ½ teaspoon dried oregano; ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt; ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper; ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper; 2 cups assorted mushrooms (diced); 1 cup red lentils (rinsed well and picked over); ¾ cup finely chopped walnuts; ½ cup red wine; 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes; ½ cup almond milk; 2 tbsp Tamari; 2 Bay Leaves

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This vegan bolognese gets its rich, deeply savory flavor from mushrooms, lentils, and walnuts simmered in red wine and tamari–no ground beef required! I’ll even show you my tried and true method for cutting the spaghetti squash so you can roast up ribbons that mimic pasta strands. Stick with me and you too can have a homemade, naturally gluten-free satisfying plant based main dish like this that everyone can enjoy.

Spaghetti Squash on two white rimmed plates, served with chunky vegan bolognese and sprinkled with fresh parsley.

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients for Vegan Bolognese laid out and labeled: diced tomatoes, diced mushrooms, onions, celery, garlic, shredded carrots, red lentils, almond milk, chopped walnuts, spices, red wine, almond milk, tamari and bay leaves.

Lentils, mushrooms and walnuts: winning combo for vegan umami satisfaction in texture and taste. The key is using red lentils because they’ll cook more quickly than black, brown or green….and fall apart in a way that’s just right!
Onions, carrots, celery, garlic: build better flavor from scratch! Shredded carrots are masterful in bringing in more texture too.
Red wine: Traditional bolognese calls for red wine to build flavor without additional salt or fat. The alcohol burns off and leaves a concentrated balance of sweet and savory. If you don’t use alcohol, substitute with tomato juice, plus a teaspoon of vegan worcestershire.

Spaghetti Squash Step by Step

The first thing you’ll want to do is prep the spaghetti squash to release some of the moisture so you’ll wind up with long strings that resemble angel hair pasta.

Cutting horizontal slices off a spaghetti squash.

Use a sharp knife to cut into 1-2″ horizontal rings. Cutting horizontally, rather than vertically will get you those long, tender al dente noodles.

Using a sharp knife to cut out the stringy center and seeds from a ring of spaghetti squash.

Go back and cut out the stringy, seedy center so you have donut shaped rings that are empty in the middle.

Spaghetti Squash Rings sprinkled with kosher salt and set on a kitchen towel.

Lay spaghetti squash rings on a kitchen towel and sprinkle with kosher salt to draw out the moisture. Leave these to sit for 15-20 minutes, then use a paper towel to brush off the salt and water that has accumulated before roasting.

Step by Step Vegan Bolognese

While the squash sits to sweat, you can make the sauce. Gather your ingredients and chop all veggies. Dice the onion, shred the carrot and cut celery into small dice. Mince garlic or use a microplane to zest it. Mushrooms should be diced small. Finely chop the walnuts, or use a spice grinder to make this job easier.

Cast iron skillet with diced onions, celery and shredded carrots.

Saute onions, celery and carrots in a cast iron skillet until translucent.

sauteed carrots, onions and celery, then spices and garlic are added to cast iron skillet.

Mix in garlic and spices, stirring constantly so garlic doesn’t burn.

Cast iron skillet with sauteed veggies including shredded carrots. Small diced mushrooms are added to the top of the pan.

Stir in mushrooms and continue to cook until they soften and their juices have released.

Red lentils and finely chopped walnuts are added to a cast iron pan that is filled with sauteed mushrooms, carrots, celery, onions and spices.

Then mix in the rinsed red lentils and walnuts.

Cast iron skillet with sauteed veggies plus lentils.

Use the red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up bits that have become stuck.

Diced tomatoes, almond milk and tamari are added to a cast iron pot filled with sauteed veggies.

Then stir in the diced tomatoes with juices, almond milk and tamari.

Chunky vegan bolognese, simmering in a cast iron skillet with bay leaves on top.

Stir well. Bring to a boil, lower heat and add bay leaves. Simmer for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally, scraping bottom of pan.

Chunky vegan bolognese simmering inside a cast iron skillet

After 15 minutes, add ½ cup water, stir well and continue to cook at a low simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, go back to the squash rings that had been salted and left to sit.

Spaghetti Squash Rings on a parchment lined baking tray

Use a paper towel to wipe off the salt and any moisture that has accumulated. Place on parchment lined baking sheet, in a single layer. Use 2 trays if necessary.

Roasted spaghetti squash rings on a parchment lined baking tray.

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in preheated 425 oven for 25 minutes, until tender but not mushy.

Large rimmed baking sheet with rings of spaghetti squash. Two forks pulling the spaghetti from the skins into spaghetti strands.

Use two forks to pull the spaghetti strands from the squash skin. It should pull away easily and remain intact, looking like angel hair pasta. Continue until all rings have been pulled from their skins. Plate the squash on a serving platter or on individual plates, ready to add the sauce.

Vegan bolognese sauce inside a cast iron skillet, sprinkled with fresh parsley.

Remove bay leaves from the red lentil bolognese. Serve chunky, as is. OR use an immersion blender to partially puree to create more of a vegan ragu sauce.

white plate with spaghetti squash topped with vegan bolognese

Place spaghetti squash on a plate and top with bolognese. You can do this on a large serving platter or individual plates.

Debra’s Pro Tips

White rimmed plate with twirelled sections of spaghetti squash

It’s worth the extra minute to salt the squash rings to draw out the moisture. This step is crucial to make sure your “pasta” isn’t soggy.
Play around with the texture of the bolognese. I like mine with a varied texture and do use the immersion blender to make it partially creamy and somewhat chunky. The sauce will splatter and make a mess if your pan doesn’t have high enough sides….so you may want to transfer a portion to the blender, puree and then mix back in.
Store leftover spaghetti squash separately from the vegan bolognese. Mix when ready to reheat. This also gives you the option to put a different sauce like my mushroom stroganoff onto the squash instead.

Vegan Mushroom Lentil Bolognese with Spaghetti Squash (GF)

Ingredient Notes

Spaghetti Squash Step by Step

Step by Step Vegan Bolognese

Debra’s Pro Tips

📖 Recipe