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How to make vegan bolognese

Vegan Bolognese with a walnut pesto and heritage tomatoes

Amy Treasure
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!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine British
Servings 4 people
Calories 957 kcal

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.
Keyword How to cook heritage tomatoes, How to make a vegan bolognese, Vegan Bolognese