Vegan Mushroom Lentil Bolognese with Spaghetti Squash (GF)
This vegan bolognese is rich, hearty, and 100% plant-based — made with mushrooms, lentils, and walnuts simmered in red wine and tamari for deep umami flavor. Served over roasted spaghetti squash ribbons instead of pasta, it's a naturally gluten-free, dairy-free comfort food dinner the whole family will love.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 339kcal
Ingredients
Spaghetti Squash
- 1 Spaghetti Squash medium sized
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Vegan Bolognese Sauce
- 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 tablespoon Tamari
- 2 Bay Leaves
Instructions
Spaghetti Squash
- Slice squash horizontally into 1-2" rings. They'll look like donuts after you scoop out the seeds. 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.
- Preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 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 your squash rings are roasting, you can start the sauce.
- When squash rings are tender, use two forks to pull the spaghetti strands away from the edges and onto a serving platter.
Bolognese Sauce
- In a large skillet, saute onion in olive oil or veggie broth on medium heat 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.
- 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
- 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. If you prefer a smoother sauce, puree some with an immersion blender or transfer a portion to a regular blender and then add back to the pot of sauce and mix well.
- 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, increase the cooking time or add them pre-cooked.
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 don't use alcohol, use tomato juice with a splash of balsamic or vegan worcestershire.
Meal Prep and Storage
- SERVE: Plate spaghetti squash and ladle on the bolognese. Sprinkle with fresh parsley, crushed red pepper and nutritional yeast.
- PREP AHEAD: Vegan Bolognese Sauce can be made in advance and stored in the fridge. Spaghetti squash is best prepared just before serving.
- STORE: Spaghetti squash will stay good in the fridge, stored by itself for 3 days. Sauce will stay good in the fridge for 5 days.
- FREEZE: Be sure sauce is totally cool before transferring to containers. It will stay good in the freezer for 3 months. Spaghetti squash doesn't freeze well.
- REHEAT: Preheat oven to 350. Reheat for 15 minutes, or until heated through.
Nutrition
Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 801mg | Potassium: 893mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2126IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 4mg