Ciao!

This one is SO pretty and also FULL of flavor. It is the definition of hearty comfort food, so needed for the winter.

It’s protein PACKED. It’s also pretty easy to make.

Italian food is everything.

I have a best friend who is Italian. I am fortunate to say I have eaten authentic Italian cuisine more times than I can count.

She is the BEST cook I have ever met.

I DREAM of her cooking! Do you have a friend/family member like that too? More on Miss Italy (that’s my nickname for her) later.

If I had to pick a single cuisine that I could only eat for the rest of my life it would HAVE to be Italian. Who’s with me?!

Who doesn’t completely LOVE pizza and pasta??

My goal when creating this recipe was to create a dish that felt like flavorful and satisfying Italian food.

It’s a brilliant option for if you’re looking to batch cook. It’s tough to get bored of and crazy easy to freeze for later.

The recipe has been tried and tested on vegans and non-vegans, and all were full of praise and said they’d love the recipe.

Substitutions

Using the zucchini noodles is a low calorie nutritious option. It keeps the dish light AF. Obviously alternatively the bolognese mix compliments pasta perfectly is that’s what suits the moment. That’s the traditional way to serve this meal.

The recipe includes a tomato pasta sauce. This really isn’t essential. Instead you can use a can of diced tomatoes mixed with some water. You can also chop several cherry or normal sized tomatoes and throw these in if looking to keep the dish optimally healthy. You also add a cup of vegetable broth.

The carrot and celery are my two favorite veg to throw in to the recipe. My inner-student wants to add peas, she likes to add peas to everything, but I have to say peas DO work in it or even on the side.

The recipe says dried basil or oregano, BUT if you have them fresh basil or oregano, these work too. They add to the depth of the flavor overall.

PLANT-BASED FOOD MADE SIMPLE

Eating plant-based doesn’t have to be complicated. This Complete Plant-Based Diet Foods List makes grocery shopping quick, easy and delicious.

Nutrition Info

PROTEIN.

Hold the phone.

This dish has 46g of protein.

It’s fantastic for pre or post workout. You can even add to the protein by using quinoa or protein pasta instead of zucchini noodles if you need MORE protein, although 46g should hit it for one meal.

If you’d like to find out how much protein is good for one day or the health benefits of protein, check out Where Vegans Get Their Protein From.

It’s also rich in fiber. Aiding your digestion and giving happy microbiomes in your gut, fiber prevents against chronic diseases.

It’s also loaded with iron, potassium and B vitamins. Delicious AND nutritious!

If you’d like to find out more about the health benefits of eating plant based food, check out The 8 Best Health Perks Of Vegan Plant Based Diet.

Method

I have used a spiralizer to make the zucchini noodles. Do not worry if you don’t have one.

Instead you could try using a potato peeler instead. Your noodles will be wider but you will still have amazing noodles.

The recipe says 30 minutes, but for the love of Italian cooking, it’s more than ever about taking your time and enjoying the cooking experience.

Back to my friend Miss Italy (you’ll remember I mentioned her earlier), I think I look forward to her cooking so much because I can tell that she is cooking with love. She takes her time. I know that if she was cooking this bolognese, she would let it simmer for longer, as in, MUCH longer. Try doubling or tripling the time, she would just let the sauce simmer on a really low heat. I haven’t included the long simmer time as I’m too impatient and I think people need quick recipes, but if you have the time (patience for the yummy food!) then why not give it a go.

Top Tip

In the UK they sell Marmite. In Australia they sell Vegemite. These are cultural classics from their given countries. In the US or Canada you have veg stock cubes as the closest comparison. I have noticed Marmite and/or Vegemite in several supermarkets around the world. If you haven’t tried either then I recommend you do on toast with vegan butter. It’s pretty delicious.

My secret trick is to add a teaspoon of Marmite or Vegemite when adding the herbs. It makes the dish richer and adds even more taste. An added bonus is that Marmite and Vegemite are an excellent source of B vitamins!

The BEST Vegan Lentil Bolognese

Serves: 2
Cuisine: Italian

Prep time: 0 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients

1 x cup of dried uncooked rinsed lentils

1 x tsp of extra virgin olive oil

1 x finely chopped medium white onion

4 x cloves of garlic minced

3 x grated carrots

2 x finely chopped sticks of celery

1 x pinch Himalayan pink sea salt

4 x cups of tomato and basil pasta sauce

10 x fresh cherry tomatoes sliced in half

2 x tbsp of nutritional yeast (*optional for topping)

1 x tbsp of dried basil

1 x tbsp oregano

1/2 cup of red wine (*optional)

1/2 cup of water

2 x medium sized zucchinis

2 x springs of parsley finely chopped for sprinkle decoration

Directions

1. Heat a large rimmed skillet over low-medium heat. Once hot, add oil, white onion and minced garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly softened and fragrant. Ensure it doesn’t brown too quickly and turn down the heat if needed.

2. Add to the pan the grated carrot and celery and a pinch of sea salt. Cook for a five minutes and add the tomato and basil sauce and stir in and cook for 5 minutes.

3. Add to the pan the cherry tomatoes (keeping two tomatoes back for decoration later), the basil and oregano, uncooked lentils, red wine and water. Stir well and cover with pan lid and leave to lightly simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it becomes too thick, add more water or wine.

4. While the sauce is simmering away, it’s time to make the zucchini noodles. Take the two zucchinis and chop the ends off and push through a spiralizer. If you don’t a spiralizer don’t worry, you can use a potato peeler as an alternative.

5. Grab a small pan and a dash of extra virgin olive oil and cook the noodles for a few minutes until warmed.

6. Once the lentils are cooked, serve noodles and lentils on top, garnishing with the spare uncooked cherry tomatoes and chopped parsley. Also top with the nutritional yeast to add some cheesy flavor.

This is in my top five meals. If you love this recipe and would like to hear more lifestyle tips or delicious recipes straight to your inbox then please sign up below.

For another hearty meal idea check out Mexican Three Bean Vegan Chili. Also REALLY yum.