Happy New Year! This year, I aim to make vegan cooking more accessible to YOU! This means some nice easy meals, that come together quickly and with little effort. No excuses guys – there is no better time than NOW to start incorporating more plant foods into your diet.
Pasta dishes are one of the easiest meals to veganise. Cook some pasta, add a can of legumes and some tomato pasta sauce and you’re done! BUT if you want something with a little more oomph, then my vegan spaghetti bolognese should hit the spot – It’s hearty, packed with protein and has a lovely texture.
Use pre-soaked dried green lentils for best results – but my vegan spaghetti bolognese will also work with 1 can of lentils, drained and rinsed.
I like to use the fine setting on the grater (a parmesan grater also works well) for the carrot and zucchini which allows for a beautiful distribution throughout the dish and you barely notice there’s vegetables in it – perfect if you are sneaking veggies into a kids meal!
I have used 500g of pasta in this recipe, which is a whole standard packet – it’s a lot of pasta and will likely do you more than 4 servings (for us, it’s about 6). Adjust to suit you and your fam.
You choose – 1 pot or ready in 30 minutes?
I have written this recipe from the perspective of a #vanlifer – the less dishes, the better! I cook the pasta first while preparing the veggies and other ingredients. I then set the pasta aside and in the same pot make the bolognese. This way takes about 35-40 minutes in total.
If you have the space, you can save yourself a few minutes and cook the pasta in a separate pot while the bolognese is simmering. Allow for 5 minutes to prep your vegetables and ingredients, and then 25 minutes to get the bolognese going and cook your pasta. 30 minutes in total.
Do I need to soak my lentils?
I try to plan ahead and soak my lentils when making breakfast or lunch. The good thing about green lentils is that they don’t need long to soak compared to other legumes. If you only have an hour or so, soak them in boiling water and add on another 10 minutes to the bolognese cooking time at step 3 to ensure the lentils are cooked through.
Let me know in the comments below if you made this. I also love to hear your ideas and substitutions. Share your creations on Instagram with #IHTBvegan @ihtbvegan
Spaghetti lentil and zucchini bolognese
Ingredients
- ½ C dried green lentils - pre-soaked for at least 4 hours
- 500 g spaghetti
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ brown onion - diced small
- Pinch salt
- 2 cloves garlic - crushed
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 2 tsp mixed/italian herbs
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 C zucchini - grated finely
- 1 C carrot - grated finely
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil, place in spaghetti and cook until al dente (8-10 minutes). Drain and rinse the pasta in warm water and set aside. Meanwhile, prepare your other ingredients.
- In the same pot, heat olive oil, then saute onion with a pinch of salt over medium heat until soft, about 4 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for a further minute.
- Stir through tomato paste, diced tomatoes, herbs, paprika, lentils and 1 cup of water. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir through the zucchini and carrot (including any juices), soy sauce and brown sugar and continue to simmer uncovered for a further 10 minutes. Check seasoning and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Divide the spaghetti between the serving bowls and top each with bolognese.
0 Comments