Vegan Bolognese over Spaghetti Squash

White rimmed plate filled with spaghetti squash and covered with red lentil vegan bolognese sauce.

5 from 21 votes

Vegan Bolognese over Spaghetti Squash

This is THE BEST Vegan Bolognese Recipe. It's loaded with plant based texture and flavor, easy to make and healthy too. Spaghetti Squash Bolognese is nutrient dense, low in calories and carbs and incredibly satisfying.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Vegan

Servings: servings

Calories: 263kcal

Author: Debra Klein

Equipment

Ingredients

Spaghetti Squash

1 medium Spaghetti Squash
Drizzle of Olive Oil*
Salt + Pepper

Vegan Bolognese Sauce

1 large onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 medium 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 Tablespoons Tamari
2 Bay Leaves

Instructions

Slice squash horizontally into 1-2" rings. They'll look like donuts after you scoop out the seeds. I use a medium sized sharp knife. A paring knife will also work well. As long as your knife is sharp, this task will be easy to perform. Place squash rings on a kitchen towel, spread into one layer and sprinkle with coarse salt. The salt will draw out the water in the squash, so leave them to sweat.
In a large skillet, warm oil over medium heat and saute onion for 5 minutes until translucent. Add in garlic, carrots, celery and dried spices. Cook for 3 minutes and then add in the mushrooms. Continue to stir and cook until mushrooms soften and release their juices, about 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 and line a large baking tray with unbleached parchment paper.
Stir in the lentils and walnuts, and mix well. Then add the wine to deglaze the skillet, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the bottom. Pour in the tomatoes, milk and tamari and mix well. Add the bay leaves and bring to a boil. Lower the sauce to simmer and cook for 15 minutes
Use a paper towel to brush off the salt and any liquid that has accumulated on the squash rings. Place on prepared baking pan in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. See NOTES if you're not using any oil. Roast in preheated 425 oven for 25 minutes.
While squash rings are roasting, check in with your sauce. Stir well, after the first 15 minutes are up, add ½ cup water and stir again. Cook for another 15 minutes over low heat. stirring occasionally to be sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot.
When all is tender, remove the bay leaves and assess for chunkiness. I like to blitz a bit of it with the immersion blender for a thick and slightly less chunky sauce that resembles a ragu. It’s an optional step that is subjective…and it will have the same delicious taste whether you do this or not.
When squash rings are tender, use two forks to pull the spaghetti strands away from the edges and onto a serving platter.
Ladle sauce onto prepared spaghetti squash and serve warm. Sprinkle with fresh herbs, crushed red pepper and some nutritional yeast, if desired.

Notes

OLIVE OIL: If you don't use oil, you can brush the top of the squash circles with water or veggie broth so it doesn't dry out and there is something for the salt and pepper to stick to.

MUSHROOMS: I used a combination of shitake and baby bellas. Any fresh mushroom will work in this recipe. If you omit the mushrooms, add 1 Tablespoon light miso paste to get some of that umami flavor and add an additional ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts for more texture.

LENTILS: Red lentils cook more quickly and break down better than brown or black lentils. If you had to substitute, the only other lentil I'd recommend for this recipe is split yellow lentils. Any other lentil and you will need to soak them first, or increase the cooking time.

WALNUTS: Use your spice grinder to cut back on prep time. You can substitute another nut, or even pumpkin or sunflower seeds for the walnuts, just be sure to chop them finely.

RED WINE: If you need a sub, use tomato juice or even V8 juice.

TO STORE: Bolognese sauce will stay good in the fridge for 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Store leftover spaghetti squash separately. Reheat in 350 oven for 20 minutes, until warmed through.

Nutrition