Weeknight Lentil Bolognese

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 Carrots, finely diced
• 2 stalks Celery, finely diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp Tomato paste
• 1 cup Brown lentils (dry), rinsed
• 1 can Crushed tomatoes, no salt added
• 2 cups Low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tsp Dried oregano
• 1 tsp Fennel seed, crushed
• ½ tsp Red pepper flakes
• 1 Bay leaves
• 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• ¾ tsp Kosher salt
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 12 oz Whole wheat pasta (dry)
• 4 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
• ¼ cup Fresh basil, torn (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium. Add onion, carrot, celery and a pinch of salt. Cook 10-12 minutes, stirring now and then, until everything is soft and the onion is genuinely golden — not translucent, golden. This is the step that separates good sauce from flat sauce.
2. Add garlic, oregano, crushed fennel seed and pepper flakes. Cook 60 seconds until fragrant.
3. Push everything to one side, add the tomato paste to the bare pan, and let it fry undisturbed for 60-90 seconds until it turns brick red and smells sweet. Stir it in.
4. Add lentils, crushed tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover partway, and cook 30-35 minutes until the lentils are tender and the sauce is thick enough to hold a spoon track.
5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in well-salted water. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.
6. Pull the bay leaf. Stir in the balsamic — this is the finishing move; it wakes the whole pot up. Taste and adjust.
7. Toss the drained pasta directly into the sauce with a splash of pasta water so it clings. Finish with torn basil and parmesan at the table.

Notes

✨ The restaurant touch

Finish each bowl with a half teaspoon of good olive oil and a grating of parmesan at the table, not in the pot. The aroma hits before the first bite.

🧒 For the kids

Blend one cup of the finished sauce smooth with an immersion blender and stir it back in if your kids object to visible vegetables. Serve their portion before you add pepper flakes.

🌿 From the garden

Garden basil and paste tomatoes are what make this in August. Two Amish Paste plants will supply a winter of frozen sauce.

🥡 Leftovers

Sauce keeps 5 days refrigerated, 3 months frozen. It is better on day two. Freeze in 2-cup portions flat in bags.

Per serving

Computed from USDA FoodData Central values. A planning tool, not medical advice.