Italian · lunch, dinner
One-Pot Vegan Lentil Bolognese
Video by Andrew Bernard | The Nard Dog Cooks on YouTube · Open on YouTube
- Vegan
- Gluten-free with a swap: use gluten-free pasta
Contains: Gluten, Tree nuts. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
Lentils, vegetables and pecans replace the meat, giving each serve (with pasta) about 12 g of fibre and 17 g of protein, and it is a good source of iron and folate.
The printable card is ink-friendly, fits on one page and has a QR code back to this recipe.
Ingredients 24
Method
Tap a time to watch that step in the video.
- Heat the olive oil in a large deep pan over medium-low heat and cook the onion, stirring now and then, for 30–45 minutes until deeply caramelised. 2:48
- Add the garlic, bay leaf and all the dried herbs and spices and stir for 1 minute. Spread in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute more. 3:04
- Add the celery, carrot and bell pepper and cook 4–5 minutes until softened, then stir in the pecans and drained lentils. 3:30
- Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits. When it has been absorbed, add the crushed tomatoes, stock and coconut milk. 3:48
- Simmer, stirring now and then, for 30–45 minutes until the lentils are tender (or up to 2 hours for a thicker, deeper sauce). Remove the bay leaf. 4:25
- Cook the pasta and serve the sauce over it (or over rice or baked potatoes). 4:45
Tip. Time uses the shorter simmer (up to 2 hours gives a deeper sauce); soaking the lentils 2–12 hours is optional. Walnuts or sunflower seeds (nut-free) can replace the pecans. Freezes for 3 months.
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One serve gives you 1 of 8
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 53%
- Protein 16%
- Fat 31%
For comparison, low-carb eating usually gets under 26% of its energy from carbs, and ketogenic eating under 10%. Why this is here
Lower-carb idea. About 64% of the 57 g of net carbs come from the pasta. To cut carbs, try leaving it out — it is optional.
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
Selenium High69%
38 µg a serve, mostly from pasta (85%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Vitamin C High45%
40 mg a serve, mostly from red bell pepper (59%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
Folate High41%
164 µg a serve, mostly from brown lentils (69%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Iron High34%
6.1 mg a serve, mostly from brown lentils (34%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Vitamin B6 High27%
0.5 mg a serve. Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Magnesium High23%
95 mg a serve. Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Zinc High22%
2.4 mg a serve, mostly from brown lentils (34%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Potassium High20%
950 mg a serve, mostly from canned tomatoes (32%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Vitamin E Source19%
2.8 mg a serve, mostly from canned tomatoes (41%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Vitamin A Source18%
165 µg a serve, mostly from carrot (63%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Vitamin K Source15%
18 µg a serve. Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Omega-3 Source10%
0.2 g a serve, mostly from pecans (33%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Show the other 3
Calcium8%
103 mg a serve, mostly from canned tomatoes (33%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Vitamin D0%
0 µg a serve. Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Vitamin B120%
0 µg a serve. Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
You might also like
Italian Lentil Soup (Lenticchie for New Year's Eve)Italian · 273 kcal · 16 g protein
Minestrone di Verdure (Italian Vegetable Soup)Italian · 240 kcal · 6.7 g protein
Pasta e Ceci: One-Pot Pasta with ChickpeasItalian · 835 kcal · 29 g protein
Quick Keto Pizza with Almond Flour CrustItalian · 429 kcal · 23 g protein
Ribollita: Tuscan Bean, Kale and Bread SoupItalian · 367 kcal · 19 g protein
Italian Grandma's Pasta with BroccoliItalian · 421 kcal · 16 g protein
Recipe and video by Andrew Bernard | The Nard Dog Cooks; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.