Bolognese sauce is a meat-based ragu, originating from Bologna, Italy that simmers for hours, absorbing flavor from aromatic vegetables. This vegan lentil bolognese zucchini pasta is a plant-based version that honors its roots, maintaining its deep, earthy flavours, and thick hearty consistency.
Lentils make for a great meat substitute – they mimic the texture of ground beef fairly well and add an earthy flair and creamy consistency to dishes. There are so many reasons to love lentils-they are a rich source of fiber, iron, protein, and folate and happen to be one of the easiest legumes to digest.
Traditional bolognese sauce is served with tagliatelle pasta. This vegan lentil bolognese mimics the original and is served over a bed of fresh zoodles (spiralized zucchini-turned pasta). The zucchini noodles can be served raw, maintaining their slightly crunchy texture, and are easily heated through when mixed with the piping hot sauce. Since zucchini is one of those vegetables that just doesn’t appeal to me in it’s raw state, I prefer cooking the zoodles for a few minutes, until they are just al dente and take on the texture of a starchy noodle. On a side note, the size and texture of your zoodles will depend greatly on the quality of your spiralizer. You can also prepare zoodles with a knife and peeler, but I’ve yet to try that.
If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me onInstagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!
I’ve enver tried veggie pasta before but I would like to try it one of these days.. Yummy recipe!
It’s easy to make and very light and refreshing!
I really want one of those veggie spiralizers. So many things you can do when you have one
I actually need to find a better one…the kind that makes plumper spirals. the one I used isn’t that great!
oh wow this looks absolutely delicious, I am not vegan but I would hammer this down
Thanks! Anyone can enjoy lentils, right?!
Yumm… This looks so good and I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing!!
This looks so good! I love the spiralized zuccinni and I want to try lentils now never had it.
Yummy!! I’m always in the look out for vegan and vegetarian dishes. We eat a lot of lentils and so glad to bump into your recipe here!
There are a ton of lentil recipes on the Blog…I love them too!
My husband has been reluctant to try vegan dishes after eating meat his whole life. Since lentils have a similar texture to ground beef, I might be able to get him to try this dish.
My husband will eat this…as long as I don’t call it bolognese (since he’s a very tradition Italian!). I just call it lentils…which means he’ll eat it, lol!
Wow, I’ve never had anything like this before. Bolognese yes but nothing like this. I think my whole family would enjoy this, plus its so different than what we’re used to! Would be fun!
It’s an interesting take on the traditional recipe…but I’m not sure how many hardcore Italians would try it, lol!
I haven’t had original bolognese, but you haven’t failed me yet, so I think we will try this healthy version of it!
I haven’t tried bolognese. This recipe sounds good and I have wanted to swap out zoodles for my spaghetti pasta. I tried spaghetti squash and it wasn’t my cup of tea. I do like zucchini though.
I’m not too keen on spaghetti squash either! If you the zucchini al dente they do still have a little bite, which makes them similar in texture to real pasta.
I love bolognese but I’ve never had lentils before. One day I’m going to give vegan food a try.
I love spiralized veggies and lentils. Will definitely try this recipe.
I love my spiralizer, too. I love using beans or mushrooms; they have that meaty taste without using, yet again, ground beef. This looks good.
I was actually thinking to throw some portobello mushrooms in the mix…but I guess that will be another recipe 😉
This sounds delicious! We have had lentils before and the kids like them, I always forgot to find more ways to cook with them.
What a gorgeous dish! I love the bright colours, and I bet it’s really delicious too!
Thank you!
This Bolognese looks absolutely delicious. I love that it’s a vegan recipe. And lentils are a family favorite around here!
That’s great…hope you try this!
The vegan lentil bolognese would be really tasty. I rate this as a 5 star recipe.
Thanks for the rating Franc!
We are really trying to reduce carbs in our diet so this recipe looks perfect for us. Have always wanted to try zoodles.
I’ve been wanting to try zoodles! Your bolognese looks delish. I can’t wait to try it. I like that it’s vegan!
Thanks Alli!