Superbly rich and flavourful, you won’t mind that this Bolognese doesn’t contain any meat. Plus, when it’s paired with al dente gluten-free pasta and emulsified to make a deliciously rich sauce, you’ll look forward to eating this vegetarian meal prep every time.

Lentil Bolognese

Before this recipe, I’d made countless lentil Bolognese recipe attempts and the lentil’s chewy texture and earthy flavour came through in every. single. one. And I wasn’t a fan. 

Then I learnt about brining and honestly, this extra step makes ALL the difference. 

Brining is the process of submerging food in a salty liquid (brine) for a while to season the food, while enhancing tenderness and flavour.

And let me tell you, brining works wonders on lentils… 

It helps them retain their shape, while making them softer AND creamier, so that when they are paired with the caramelised layers of this superbly rich and flavourful Bolognese sauce and al dente gluten-free pasta, it truly creates a delicious vegetarian meal prep that you’ll look forward to eating every time. 

Meal Prep and Lentil Bolognese…

How long will this be good for? 

This lentil Bolognese is good (safe to eat and still tasty) when stored in the fridge for up to four days, you could probably stretch it to five days and it would still be okay to eat.

How can I reheat it? 

Microwave:

• In a microwave-safe dish, cook the lentil Bolognese in the microwave, for approx. 3 minutes on high (stir midway through) or until desired temperature is reached. 

Handy Tip… Sometimes pasta meal preps can get a little bit dry because the pasta soaks up the extra sauce when the meals are stored. To fix this, add a tablespoon or two of water, pop it back in the microwave to cook for another 30 seconds, then stir thoroughly to combine. 

Stovetop:

• Place lentil Bolognese into a saucepan and add 2 TBSP water per serving. Over a medium heat, stir the lentil Bolognese frequently, until mixture starts to boil, then remove from heat and enjoy.  

To freeze or not to freeze?

This lentil Bolognese can be frozen, although the gluten-free pasta will break up and be far softer after thawing. When you want to eat it, simply reheat in the microwave or on the stove as per above, until the desired temperature is reached. 

Happy meal prepping! – Linda 

Lentil Bolognese Recipe 

Recipe Notes:

1. Brown lentils can be substituted for green lentils, French lentils, black lentils or Puy lentils. Red or yellow lentils do not hold their shape and are therefore not recommended for this recipe.
2. If you do not have a food processor, pureeing the diced tomatoes can be skipped, however, it will lead to a slightly chunkier sauce.
3. If you are not celiac or gluten intolerant, substitute gluten-free pasta with normal pasta.

Recipe inspired by and adapted from: https://www.theendlessmeal.com/deliciously-rich-lentil-bolognese/