Zucchini Pasta with Lentil Bolognese (30 minutes!)

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Dinner plates filled with a healthy meal of Spiralized Zucchini Pasta with Vegan Lentil Red Sauce

Raise your hand if you’re always three years behind trends like me (wave it around, girl).

I’m still trying to figure out whether it’s cool or not to wear flare jeans. Please advise in the comments.

Veggie noodles have been a “thing” since like 2007, but I’m just now getting on board.

Who wants to spiralize things with me?!

Sautéing carrots to make healthy vegan Bolognese

Here’s the thing about spiralized noodles. It requires a tool, as in another thing to have lying around your kitchen and we tend to be anti “stuff.” We like to keep our kitchen minimal, as you might’ve guessed. (Get it, Minimalist Baker? Sensing a trend? You’re quick, I knew you’d get it.)

However, when your pal sends you her new cookbook and your very own spiralizer to try out, you kind of sort of have to use it. And since the rest of the free world seems to have one in their kitchen – including my mom, my sister, and probably all of my aunts – it’s about time I get on board.

The cool thing about spiralizing noodles – besides vegetables morphing into curly q’s – is that there are options:

You can buy a countertop spiralizer,
handheld spiralizer,
Or use a good old-fashioned vegetable peeler like I’ve done for the past several years.

And when in doubt, just use pasta. You simply can’t lose with pasta.

Stirring together ingredients for our healthy Vegan Lentil Bolognese recipe

Origins of Bolognese

Apparently, spaghetti bolognese is not authentically Italian (source). Who knew!? But a similar dish, Ragù alla Bolognese, is from Italy and is served on noodles such as tagliatelle rather than spaghetti.

It’s thought that Ragù alla Bolognese was created in the 1700s by a chef named Alberto Alvisi. Then in the 1800s, it began appearing in cookbooks from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. But the official recipe was not registered until 1982. You can read more about the history of bolognese here.

Zucchini Pasta with Lentil Bolognese

This recipe comes together in 30 minutes, you guys. That’s big! Just think: a flavorful, hearty, protein- and fiber-rich dinner on the table in half an hour.

Anyone can do it! Even you. Yes, you. You know I’m talking to you.

The marinara is hearty and rich, and includes carrots for texture and natural sweetness and lentils for plant-based protein (nearly 17 g protein per serving!). Serve over fresh or lightly sautéed zucchini noodles and you’re good to go.

Using a spiralizer to make zucchini pasta
Plates of delicious Zucchini Pasta with Lentil Red Sauce for a healthy, gluten-free vegan weeknight meal

I hope you all LOVE this meal! It’s:

Light
Fresh
Easy
Flavorful
Hearty
Protein-packed
Vegetable forward
& Crazy delicious

Make this on nights when you need something hearty and healthy on the table when you don’t have a ton of time to spare. Or when you’re hosting folks with sensitive diets and need to please a crowd. Or just because. This dish is so good it’s likely going to become a mainstay in our dinner rotation.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a picture #minimalistbaker on Instagram! We’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!

Plate of our hearty and healthy Zucchini Pasta with Vegan Lentil Bolognese

Zucchini Pasta with Lentil Bolognese

A hearty red sauce with lentils and carrots over zucchini noodles! A flavorful, healthy, 30-minute plant-based meal.
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Plate of zucchini noodles topped with Vegan Lentil Bolognese
4.86 from 107 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 3 (Servings)
Course Entrée
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Italian-Inspired, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 3 Days

Ingredients

PASTA

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium shallot (minced // or sub 1/3 cup diced onion)
  • 4 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 2-3 medium carrots (finely shredded // 1 cup or 110 g as original recipe is written // I use the grater attachment on a food processor)
  • 1 pinch sea salt (plus more to taste)
  • 26 ounces favorite marinara sauce (or sub tomato sauce* // I prefer Trader Joe’s brand Tomato Basil)
  • 1 pinch red pepper flake
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 Tbsp coconut sugar (for sweetness // plus more to taste // or sub stevia)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3/4 cup dry split red lentils* (rinsed and drained)
  • 2 medium zucchini (rinsed and both ends sliced off)

FOR SERVING optional

Instructions

  • Heat a large rimmed skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, shallot, and garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly softened and fragrant. Turn down heat if browning.
  • Add carrots and a pinch of salt and stir. Cook for 3-4 minutes more, then add marinara sauce and stir to coat.
  • Add red pepper flake, basil, oregano, coconut sugar, water, and lentils. Increase heat slightly and bring mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to low/medium-low, cover, and continue cooking until lentils are tender – stirring occasionally – about 17-20 minutes. Add a bit more water if mixture gets too thick.
  • Once lentils are cooked, taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt to taste, coconut sugar for sweetness, red pepper flake for heat, or herbs for flavor balance.
  • While the sauce is cooking, spiralize your zucchini into noodles using a tool such as this or this. Alternatively you can use a mandolin or vegetable peeler, or simply cook up your favorite pasta.
  • Serve the pasta over noodles of choice (I opted for raw zucchini noodles – so good!) and garnish with desired toppings – I prefer Vegan Parmesan Cheese and red pepper flake.
  • Sauce will keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days or in the freezer 1 month.

Notes

*4 cloves garlic yield ~2-Tbsp minced garlic
*Tomato sauce is generally pureed tomatoes with garlic, salt, and Italian spices.
*For extra tender lentils, you can soak them in cool water overnight or quick soak in hot water for 15-20 minutes. Then drain and proceed with the recipe.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
*This recipe is not a traditional preparation of bolognese. It is our inspired, plant-based version served on zucchini noodles.

Nutrition (1 of 3 servings)

Serving: 1 serving Calories: 423 Carbohydrates: 60.7 g Protein: 16.9 g Fat: 15.4 g Saturated Fat: 2.4 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 6.4 g Monounsaturated Fat: 5.6 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 945 mg Potassium: 1461 mg Fiber: 13.2 g Sugar: 19 g Vitamin A: 8095 IU Vitamin C: 70.8 mg Calcium: 157 mg Iron: 6.8 mg

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    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Mary Kay, yes, that would work! You probably won’t need to add water or cook as long since the lentils are already cooked. Hope that helps!

  1. Susan W. says

    The flavor was delicious! I used brown lentils and would definitely cook them beforehand next time—they were pretty crunchy, even after cooking for 30-40 minutes in the sauce.

  2. Suzanne says

    You mentioned wondering whether flare jeans are cool or not. I think they make a cool, fun statement if they’re paired with a clingy colorful top (at least 3 colors) and a fairly thick belt. Jeans should be low on the waist. Yes, fun!
    Haven’t made the zucchini yet but just this morning, picked up 2 at the market and was wondering how I wanted to do them. It was serendipity coming across your recipe.

  3. Nares says

    I’m actually cooking this right now as i type,its about halfway done and tastes absolutely Phenomenal! The only difference i made was i added sone vege stock instead of water and also a splash of Worcestershire sauce,i didn’t have red pepper flakes so i used a mix of smoked and Hungarian paprika.
    This will definitely be a weekly staple at our home.
    Thankyou sooo very much for sharing this super delicious recipe and all of your other incredibledishestoo 😋 😍 😀

  4. Elizabeth says

    I hesitate to rate this as I needed to make so many changes BUT this recipe is really great (& flexible). I didn’t have bottled tomato sauce so used recipe to make my own using fire-roasted petite cut tomatoes (3 cans) & tomato paste (6 oz). Lots of basil, oregano & Italian herb seasonings, salt, red pepper flakes & 1 T sugar. I also used green lentils because I didn’t have red lentils. Forgot the water 🤦‍♀️ but loved the final results. I used spaghetti squash because it was already cooked and ready to go & a dollop of vegan ricotta cheese. It was awesome!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Elizabeth!

  5. Tara Kupersmith says

    Hi! Make variations of this all the time. Love your website. Can this be frozen? Not enough eaters tonight!
    Thank you!

  6. Trisha says

    I was nervous about my first foray into spiralizing but this recipe knocked it out of the park!
    I used crushed tomatoes and stirred in a handful of fresh oregano and basil at the end. I thought we’d miss the pasta but actually prefer the slight crunch of the zoodles — and the sauce is beyond yummy!

  7. Maria says

    Loved this recipe. I only had cooked brown lentils, which needed very little cooking time and no added water. I add cashew cream sauce and it was delicious! I had it with brown rice pasta. Love your recipes and I will be adding this one to my favorites! xoxo

  8. Emm says

    I made this tonight. I used whole wheat pasta, and the flavors were excellent. The only issue that I had was with the red lentils. They didn’t fully cook, so while most thicken the sauce, a few of them were a bit chewy. I tried cooking them a bit longer, but that still didn’t work. So, I’ll make it again; however, I recommend cooking the lentils after the scallions, garlic, and carrots with the water before adding the pasta sauce.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Bummer! Thanks for sharing your honest feedback and still leaving a great review, Emm! Glad you still enjoyed!

  9. Leanna says

    So simple and quick, and delicious! The added coconut sugar really makes the flavor pop. And of course with your cashew parm on top too :) Thanks!

  10. Lorena says

    This receipe is so easy and very tastey! I didn’t have red lentils and used green lentils, used Passatta strained tomatoe sauce and all the spices. Added a little extra water to cook the lentils. Very flavorful!

    Will definitely make this receipe again and again!

  11. Lauren says

    Such an easy recipe and flavors are amazing. Most ingredients people normally have on hand, so great weeknight dinner!

  12. Dana C. says

    Another winner! The flavor is out of control good. I put this over regular penne pasta–so easy to make!

  13. The Vegan Goddess says

    OMG, where has this recipe been all my life? Delish! Another home-run recipe!

    Loaded with veggies and protein. Shredded carrots are mixed with homemade marinara sauce, lentils, garlic, a shallot and spices. I garnished it with homemade vegan parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

    I have a spiralizer and love making zoodles. So easy and tasty, always al dente and a great way to fit in more veggies.

  14. Dana says

    This came out great! I added some celery and pepper because I had it laying around. Put it over brown rice pasta! Will definitely use zucchini noodles next time; the pasta left me missing that bright flavor!

    • Alba Garcia says

      I just wanted to say this recipe is delicious and easy. I do not agree with the comments saying the lentils take much longer to cook. I didn’t pre-soak them and they were perfect in 20-25 minutes. I also absolutely loved the raw courgetti, so thanks for the tip! And the proportions are right too. X

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Alba! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! xo

  15. Michelle Sadler says

    I have made this recipe several times now, since being vegan. It is literally one of the best recipes I’ve come across. Even my non-vegan kids love it. Thank you so much!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Woohoo! We’re so glad you and your family enjoy it, Michelle. Thanks so much for sharing! xo

  16. anonymous says

    It was great, but I would definitely use less marinara sauce and/or take out the water if I make it again. Also, be careful when cooking or stuff can splatter if you aren’t paying attention!

  17. Andrea says

    This lentil bolognese is a WINNER! I usually “wing it” in the kitchen on this kind of sauce, but my spouse found this recipe and decided to try it. So glad he did. We will definitely be making this again.

    We served it over whole wheat noodles, but when zucchinis are in season, we’ll definitely be trying it with “zoodles”!

  18. Casey says

    This was super easy! I added celery and a whole onion instead of a shallot to give it some more volume. Definitely about 4 very hearty portions with that – at least. Also had no need for sugar even sugar free marinara. Overall an easy hit!

  19. Sarah says

    I loved this recipe! Satisfied my “pasta” craving without the bulk of pasta noodles. I actually added leftover red lentils that I cooked the day before which added a creamy texture and just placed the zoodles on top of the cooked sauce to steam them a bit and it came out delish! Thank you!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Sarah. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

  20. Adrienne says

    Good recipe but agree that the time is not correct, red lentils do not cook in 17-20 minutes. Agree with other that using previously cooked lentils would allow this to be a ’30’ minute meal.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks for sharing your experience, Adrienne. We do prefer a more “al dente” red lentil, but it seems that’s not everyone’s preference. We’ll take another look.

  21. Cristina says

    I’m not sure what all the negativity is about in the comments. I thought it was delicious! I did add extra off all the herbs and fresh garlic plus garlic powder and lots of nutritional yeast for richness. Instead of doing the zoodles raw I coated them in a bit of evoo and salt/pepper and roasted them for just 5 mins. They still retain their crunch from a quick roast, rather than getting kind of soggy from sauteing. It turned into a super comforting and nurturing bowl of goodness. I look forward to living off the leftovers for a few days:) Thank yoU!!

  22. Stana says

    I love this recipe, I cooked it in the Instant pot which solves the dry lentil problem. It doesn’t get as thick but still tastes the same. My toddler also loves it too.

  23. Alice Wright says

    I also didn’t realize I was supposed to pre-soak the lentils. It would be really helpful to put right in the ingredients list (note: lentils must be presoaked) to avoid other people skipping that step. When I read it I thought “are these cooked or uncooked lentils?” but because it didn’t specify soaked, cooked, or dry I assumed dry, wishing for the best, I suppose.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Lucy, we used unsoaked, uncooked red lentils. We prefer a more “al dente” texture so they don’t get mushy!

  24. Christina says

    This is a fantastic recipe! I have made it several times. It’s super cozy and comforting for a winter meal on a cold day (or any day). I cook it for about 45 minutes to soften the lentils more and add a 5 oz package of baby spinach at the end that wilts right in quickly. It’s great served with pasta or any whole grain as well. Thank you so much!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoy it, Christina! Love your modifications too. Thanks so much for sharing!

  25. H+H says

    This was alright. Since other reviewers said this made way more than 2 servings of sauce, we made this for 4 people, and still ended up with 3 times too much. However, we found the sauce quite sour and a bit one-note. We added lots of seasonings, so we’re not sure what went wrong. We also added some corn to cut the acidity, but it’s hard to cover up.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hmm, sounds like if you made that much the ingredients didn’t have a chance to brown / caramelize / reduce because the pot was too crowded / overfilled? That is the issue with multiplying recipes too much.. If it was acidic or sour I’m wondering if that was an issue with the marinara you selected vs. the recipe? I don’t know where else acidity would be coming from?

      • H+H says

        We didn’t multiply the recipe at all, and we still ended up with 12 servings (maybe our family eats small portion sizes compared to most?) On the plus side, the leftovers were a bit better, maybe because they had some time to sit and the acidity mellowed out.

  26. Erin Campbell says

    This was great and easy to make!
    I added about a cup of shredded zucchini and celery as well. I also added a 1/2 cup of TVP for a meatier texture.
    I’d say it makes much more than 2 portions of sauce – probably more like 6!

  27. Melissa A Ramirez says

    This was so good! I might have missed it in your description but the lentils took FOREVER to cook because I did not let them soak overnight. I would highly recommend not skipping this step. I think my total cooking time was about an hour, but I kept adding water and eventually they cooked through.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Sorry to hear that, Melissa! Not sure if this was the case for you, but it can take longer to cook if the lentils are old.

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        Hi Anne, sorry to hear that! It’s also possible that the store is selling old lentils. But we’ll take another look!

  28. Danielle says

    This was DELICIOUS! I did my lentils in the instant pot for 6m then added to the mixture. Such a hearty and healthy meal! Thank you

  29. Hannah says

    This recipe was incredibly easy to follow. I like a little bit more heat in my tomato sauce so I was a bit more generous with the chile flakes. Overall, it’s now my favourite veggie dinner! (I am trying to cook more vegetarian, low carb, and high protein dishes for the environment/health) and I absolutely loved it. I LOVED the noodles raw, also because the heat of the sauce naturally breaks down the fibres a bit, so by the end you’ve got an al dante vibe any ways. Thank you, I loved this recipe and highly recommend it :)

  30. benjamin gray says

    What a great recipe, thanks! We tried it in the instant pot for ten minutes, and after an initial burn notice, then adding a little bit more water it turned out great. Definitely a keeper, was eating the sauce by the spoonful.

  31. Mary-Beth Henry says

    This meal is delicious! I have leftovers and will look forward to some yummy lunches this week. I doubled the recipe for four eaters but this is would not be necessary and I will not next time to save time.

    Thank you for another tasty meal!

  32. Nicole says

    This was great, although I didn’t have any marinara/tomato sauce and so had to do a lot of tweaking. I used a tin of fire roasted diced tomatoes and some tomato paste instead, and found that it took close to 40 mins for the lentils to get soft enough, as others have mentioned. By the end it wasn’t quite saucy enough so I pureed half of it and added it back in, and kept simmering with more spices and tomato paste to try to get it more flavorful. It’s yummy, hearty, and healthy, thank you for the recipe! I’ll give it another go sometime when I have marinara kicking around so it’s quicker/easier as it’s meant to be.

    • Mani says

      My go-to bolognese recipe!
      Easy, simple, quick and delicious!
      I always add some chopped spinach and green olives in mine.
      I love making your recipes because they are always so simple yet soooo delicious .
      Greetings from Bosnia :)

  33. jane says

    This was delicious! I made a few modifications– I didn’t have garlic, shallot, or coconut sugar so used a medium onion, a healthy dose of garlic powder, and brown sugar instead. I also added a dollop of vegan butter for some extra richness, and used 1.5 cups grated carrot. The cook time was around 35 minutes for me on stovetop, but well worth it– I look forward to eating the leftovers and then making it again in the future! Thank you!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Jane. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

      • Anne says

        This is something I’ve been confused about for a while. When recipes call for a certain number of ounces of an ingredient (like in this recipe, or when it says something like, “15-oz can of chickpeas”), is it usually referring to regular ounces or fluid ounces? I live in Canada and am more used to grams and mL. I know there is a metric measurement option, but I just wanted to know. Thanks!!

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          Hi Anne, good question! We would assume regular ounces, but aren’t certain- we just get the info from the can =)

  34. Megan R. says

    My family loved this recipe! This will definitely be on repeat. It came together very quickly. I noticed that I needed more than 1/2 cup of water to keep the lentils cooking and to help from sticking to the bottom of the pan. I eyeballed the amount of water every few minutes so I didn’t end up with a soup. The end result was thick, hearty, garlicky, and just delicious! The carrot also adds a great flavor to the sauce. My husband took a bite and immediately said, “WOW….. wait, this has lentils in it?” Hahaha!! My toddler ate every bite and then some. We also made this with penne rigatoni pasta and garlic bread with oregano, garlic, and Miyokos butter. YUM!

  35. Kimberly says

    Loved this – didn’t change a single ingredient. Only mod was cooking it in the Instant Pot. This recipe will be a cool weather staple for sure!

  36. Ellie says

    A big hit for the whole family. Super filling and flavorful. We used a premade marinara that had low sodium/added veggies (Muir glen?) and I didn’t have as many carrots as it called for but was still so good. Also we put it over ziti instead of zoodles this time. My daughter ate the sauce alone like a stew and loved it. Cannot wait to make again!!! Had a little extra and froze it for future meals, too!

  37. mel1251 says

    it was very yummy although i also tweaked it a little, adding some celery and instead of chilli flakes some cayenne pepper also added a dash of balsamic vinegar. Also reduced the marinara sauce as I didn’t have it to a 420g tin of tomatoes and some tomato paste (2 tablespoons) with a extra water to make up the difference. Also had on buckwheat pasta which tasted great. Very good recipe. I’ll definitely cook this again.

  38. Ellie says

    This looks great but are the nutrition estimates correct? I know it’s an estimate but 23.2 g of fat seems really high for this recipe. Am I missing something? Would like to try it out but the fat content was throwing me. Thanks!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Ellie, we double checked and the nutrition info is accurate. The fat is coming primarily from the olive oil and marinara. You could use a homemade marinara with a lower fat content and/or reduce the amount of olive oil. Hope that helps!

  39. Linda says

    Dana, gurl , mmm mmm very good.. I made this twice, delicious. 1st time I just follow your recipe, yum! 2nd time making your recipe, I used a slow cooker ( 4 1/4 hour hrs,) & put all the ingredients in but add 1 1/2 – 2 cups water also use Soaked green lentils Instead For pasta was both wild rice pasta mix with the zucchini noodles.. ?Great recipe D! Thanks for making plant based meals yummy and simple. Happy 2020.. peace

  40. Lakshmy says

    My family loved this !!. The dish was so simple that I was able to include my son while spiralizing the zucchini and grating the carrots and he thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Lakshmy. We are so glad to hear it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

  41. Rosie says

    Made this for my friends after a last minute impromptu crowd arrived at dinner time and it was perfect! I ended up cooking the lentils separately, which worked well, then reused that pot for some whole wheat pasta. I also added broccoli, extra garlic, and a fair amount of cayenne pepper. My friends loved it and there were no leftovers!

  42. Julia S says

    I love this recipe! I had similar issues with lentils not cooking for 40+ minutes, but I’ve found this recipe converts well to the Instant Pot to fix this issue. I sauteed the shallot/garlic/carrot, then added the remaining ingredients, bumped the water up to 3/4 a cup and cooked in the IP for 20 minutes on high, then 10 minutes natural release. My coworkers are always jealous when I bring this for lunch because it smells so good!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Julia. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

  43. Betsy says

    Have made this a few times now (with traditional pasta) and it’s always a winner. The sauce definitely makes more than needed for one meal so I freeze the rest. My two year old had like, 7 helpings for dinner tonight! When I don’t have marinara, I use some combo of canned tomato sauce and diced tomatoes with a squeeze of tomato paste and it’s poif.

  44. Dede Barz says

    The lentil bolognese sauce is incredibly delicious. I’ve made vegan bolognese before, but with brown lentils. Red lentils are definitely the way to go! Mine did take longer to cook though than stated in the recipe. I left mine on simmer for 40 minutes. It might be that I had the heat on too low.

  45. Becky Moats says

    My husband and I are pretty new to vegetarian eating. We both loved this hearty recipe. It did take longer than expected for the lentils to soften. Maybe next time I will cook them separately. I like the idea of serving over spaghetti squash as an alternative. Thanks for the great recipe!

  46. Shawna says

    This recipe was super tasty. I loved the added shallots (just not chopping them). The sauce is amazing. I served mine over spaghetti squash.

  47. Melanie says

    Really delicious and nutrient dense vegan meal. I love the addition of the lentils and carrots to the sauce as a Bolognese, very filling and hearty. Took longer to make than 25min and makes more sauce than you need for the noodles but overall super tasty and can’t wait to make again!

  48. Kel says

    This has been a steady part of my dinner rotation since I first tried it a couple of months ago and I absolutely love it, both with regular fettucine and with zoodles. Like some other commenters, I’ve found that I need to cook the lentils in advance or they stay hard indefinitely though (living abroad and there’s only one place to get lentils of any description nearby, so perhaps it’s the kind I’m buying?)

  49. Jessica says

    I have some French lentils in the pantry I’d love to use! Has anyone tried this recipe with French lentils instead of red?

  50. Alex says

    Is the nutrition info correct for this recipe? 627 calories per serving seems very high for a veggie noodle recipe

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Alex, we double checked the nutrition info and it seems to be correct. The majority of the calories come from the lentils and marinara. Hope that helps!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Deborah. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo

  51. Ranj says

    Great recipe!

    I tried it out in its original form first, and then tweaked it a little… okay, a lot!

    I can’t quite get my head into mixing sugar into a savoury food [ever], so I left it out. I substituted grated sweet potato for the carrot, and jacked up the amount. I also fried it to reduce its volume a little, and amp up the flavour. I used a couple of teaspoons of vegetarian chicken stock instead of salt, and I garnished it with toasted pine nuts, toasted flaked almond [just for something crunchy for texture] and grated parmesan to serve.

    My grown daughter, a recent convert to vegetarianism, loved both versions.

  52. Lauren says

    I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! My boyfriend loved it too. I subbed traditional pasta, but I’ll definitely make it again with spaghetti squash or zoodles. Your recipes never disappoint!

  53. Alice says

    I made this with for my meat and potatoes husband and he loves it!!! We are trying to go meatless and this was a great success! Thanks for the great recipes!

  54. annie says

    This Bolognese is fantastic! Excellent flavour. Served over conventional pasta. (Also makes a good sandwich filling!)
    Thanks!

  55. Kimberly says

    This is one of my favorite recipes! I make it regularly for a quick weeknight meal, usually serve it over traditional pasta.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re glad to hear that, Erin! If you could leave a star rating next time, that would help us out a lot :D

  56. Rehan says

    Thank you so much for this great recipes, has become favourite for everyone in the house.I made this last night and my husband and son loved it .I haven’t even made the recipes before.Thank you for always providing home recipes and i tell to users to visit on this site.

  57. Danny says

    OK! so I just made this and have wanted to for a long time. One thing is that I already had cooked green lentils so I followed all of the instructions and then added the lentils about 10 minutes into the cooking time and finished up the time from there. It’s SO delicious and I’m so glad I finally made it. PERFECTION.

  58. Emma says

    Thanks for the great recipe, has become a favourite for everyone in the house :) I use half pasta/half zoodles, cuts down on carbs and adds veggies without missing out entirely! Thanks again!

  59. Lucy says

    I made this tonight. My mother in law was here and I haven’t even made the recipe before! But Minimalist baker hasn’t let me down let. Everything was perfect. I did add prob 1/4 C or a hair more water at end like suggested to lentils. I usually cook my lentils 20 mins and they are perfect. What a hit! I BARELY sautéd my zucchini noodles just to get them warm. So good!! Thank you!

  60. Chris says

    I made this last night and my BF (meat eater) loved it! I soaked the lentils a couple of hours prior due to past experience I’ve had where they didn’t soften enough, they came out great. I used whole wheat pasta because I couldn’t get my $5 hand spiralizer to work correctly. Will definitely use this recipe again.

  61. Rachael says

    I just made this tonight – except I used your marinara sauce recipe to add to it which was DELICIOUS as well. This was one of the best vegetarian meals I have made. I added some Tabasco on top for extra kick. Wish I could post a photo for you! Thanks!

  62. Alyssa says

    I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious, I added two celery sticks and used a yellow onion. Huge hit with my husband and almost 2 year old daughter as well.
    Thank you for always providing home run recipes!

  63. Natalie says

    I love this dish! I omit the sugar and the salt, go heavy on the chilli, add a few diced field mushrooms, then top the whole thing off with nutritional yeast. The bolognese is hearty and so good that my meat eating boyfriend requested the meal be added to weekly rotation. We’ve had it three times since! I’ve even converted my meat eating mother to lentil bolognese. It’s a real crowd pleaser. The zucchini noodles are fresh and unexpectedly good, no more wheat pasta in this house! ? ? ? This recipe is a keeper.

  64. Arielle says

    This looks great!! To save time and dishwashing, could I use the carrots that come already shredded in a bag or are they not fine enough? Thanks!!