I've made this vegan bolognese with walnut pesto and heritage tomatoes for lots of my meat-eater friends and I've been told that it's the tastiest bolognese they've ever had. Even if you're not vegan, this dish will quickly become a favourite. It's hearty and fresh with just the right amount of delicious sweetness thanks to the tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. You're going to love it!
There are a lot of flavours going on in this dish and more ingredients than a standard bolognese but despite the fact you're going to be making a pesto it is still such a simple meal to put together.
The combination of the walnut pesto and the heritage tomatoes is a match made in heaven and the entire dish is brought together with the sweetness of the sticky balsamic vinegar and sundried tomatoes. Adding just a hint of chilli finishes the bolognese beautifully and really makes the tastebuds sing.
The star of this dish is the amazing heritage tomatoes, they taste incredible and make a dish like this so much more visually appealing. If you can't get hold of heritage tomatoes then use yellow and red cherry tomatoes instead and try and mix up the sizes by adding a couple of beef tomatoes to give a bit more texture and robustness to your meal.
Ingredients Vegan Bolognese
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 3 large garlic cloves, finely diced
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 1 celery stalk, finely diced
- 12 cherry tomatoes red and yellow, halved
- 2 heritage tomatoes, sliced in thick rounds
- 2 cup cooked puy lentils
- 6 sun-dried tomatoes
- handful of basil
- large handful of walnuts
- 3 tbsp passata
- ¼ tsp chilli flakes
- grated nutmeg, to taste
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar, to taste
- salt and pepper, to taste
How to make Vegan Bolognese
- Boil a large saucepan of water for the pasta.
- Heat olive oil in a heavy-based pan.
- Add diced onion carrot and celery to the pan. Fry on a low heat until soft, stirring frequently so it doesn't catch. Finally, add in garlic and sauté until it softens and you can smell it cooking.
- Cook your pasta until al-dente.
- Chop softened sun-dried tomatoes roughly and put them in a food processor or pound in a pestle and mortar until they turn into a paste. Add walnuts and chopped basil leaves and to make the pesto, you can add a little olive oil if it's not wet enough.
- Move onion, carrot, celery and garlic mixture to one side of the pan and add your tomatoes. Let them cook for about a minute, then add pesto, cooked lentils, the passata and balsamic vinegar. Season with sea salt, black pepper, nutmeg, chilli and sugar to taste.
- Add cooked pasta to the pan. Toss it in the sauce to warm and serve with a few walnuts and torn basil leaves on top.
Vegan Bolognese with a walnut pesto and heritage tomatoes
This vegan dish is hearty and fresh with just the right amount of delicious sweetness thanks to the tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. You're going to love it!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 3 large garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 1 celery stalk, finely diced
- 12 cherry tomatoes red and yellow, halved
- 2 heritage tomatoes, sliced in thick rounds
- 2 cups cooked puy lentils
- 6 sun-dried tomatoes
- handful of basil
- large handful of walnuts
- 3 tbsp passata
- ¼ tsp chilli flakes
- grated nutmeg, to taste
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar, to taste
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Boil a large saucepan of water for the pasta.
- Heat olive oil in a heavy-based pan.
- Add diced onion carrot and celery to the pan. Fry on a low heat until soft, stirring frequently so it doesn't catch. Add in garlic and sauté until it softens and smells fragrant.
- Cook your pasta until al-dente.
- Chop softened sun-dried tomatoes roughly and put them in a food processor or pound in a pestle and mortar until they turn into a paste. Add walnuts and chopped basil leaves to make the pesto, you can add a little olive oil if it's not wet enough.
- Move onion, carrot, celery and garlic mixture to one side of the pan and add the cherry and heritage tomatoes. Let them cook for about a minute, then add pesto, cooked lentils, the passata and balsamic vinegar. Season with sea salt, black pepper, nutmeg, chilli and sugar to taste.
- Add cooked pasta to the pan. Toss it in the sauce to warm and serve with a few walnuts and torn basil leaves on top.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 957Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 4gUnsaturated Fat: 0gSodium: 178mgCarbohydrates: 135gFiber: 42gSugar: 40gProtein: 45g
If you enjoyed this post check out my Vegan Pad Thai which only takes 15 minutes to make. Or how about a comforting bowl of Vegetarian Ramen with Spicy Miso and Smoked Tofu?
If you try this Vegan Bolognese, let me know. Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag me @amytreasureblog on Instagram so I can see it!
Amber
Amy this looks fluffing delicious and I can't stop staring at the photos! I think you have a future career as a food photographer...
Mackenzie Glanville
I love that you shared this recipe, we are the same, I totally agree that it is healthier to not eat meat. We are not full vegan, but try to be with most meals. I can't wait to make this, or make Steve make it for me (as let's face it he cooks much better than me). I love this so much that i have added you to the blogcrush link up this week! Hope you're well xx
Lucy At Home
Aaaw a cookery class sounds like a great idea for a date night (although a bit annoying re: what the chef said). Spaghetti bolognese is my daughter's all-time favourite meal, but I don't think I've ever cooked anything vegan in my life.
Congratulations on being added to the #blogcrush linky! #blogcrush
Amy Treasure
Oh you should try this bolognese it is so good, promise!
Bec
This looks bloody amazing Amy! Yum, yummity yum yum! Thanks for sharing! X
Amy Treasure
Ah thank you lovely! x
Baru
This is all time favorite of my husband and my son. I eat this with avocado and fresh tomato drizzle with maple syrup and nuts. So much flavor! Thank you so much for sharing.
Amy Treasure
So pleased to read this, it's one of my favourites too!