Mushroom & Lentil Pasta Sauce (Vegan Ragu)
This lentil and mushroom ragu recipe is a hearty lentil pasta sauce that will leave even the hungriest eaters satisfied. Serve this vegan ragu over your favorite noodles!
Oh look, it’s Meatless Monday again! I’m a big fan of meatless meals in general, and try to eat them at least once a week.
While I’m generally pretty satisfied with a coconut risotto, kale risotto, oatmeal for dinner or butternut squash noodles, all of these meals have to pass the “satisfied the rest of the evening test.”
This Mushroom & Lentil Ragu certainly did.
A sure sign that a meatless meal did not have enough substance? A few hours after dinner, Jeff sneaks off to the kitchen and returns with a handful of peanuts.
And then does it again. And then maybe sees if he can scrounge up some pimento cheese dip from the fridge. Usually by this point, my stomach is rumbling too, so I grab my own cheese and crackers.
That’s when I’ve realized that my vegetarian dinner clearly didn’t have enough substance to get us through until breakfast the next morning.
About this lentil pasta sauce:
This Mushroom & Lentil Ragu is, without a doubt, one of the most satisfying meatless meal I have ever made (my Greek yogurt pasta and black bean meatballs are also on that list!).
I think that both lentils and mushrooms have a quite “meaty” quality to them, and knew they would sub in for meat in a vegan ragu pretty seamlessly.
Sure enough, the lentils soaked up the flavors of garlic, tomatoes and spices, and the mushrooms added even more substance to this hearty sauce.
Serve this lentil and mushroom ragu recipe over your favorite pasta for a filling vegetarian meal that will leave you satisfied all night!
How do you make lentil pasta sauce?
Like just about any pasta sauce, you’ll start this lentil and mushroom ragu recipe by sauteeing aromatics (onions, garlic, carrot, bell pepper), plus mushrooms, in oil until they’re softened. Any extra carrots can be throw into a carrot cake smoothie to sip on while the ragu simmers.
Then, you’re going to hit the lentil pasta sauce pot with a little bit of wine to “deglaze” the pan and get all of the crusty bits (one of my culinary school instructors would call that “free flavor”) off of the bottom of the pot.
Use a wooden spoon to help scrape these bits off as soon as the wine goes in.
Then, you’ll stir in the lentils, water, canned tomatoes, and herbs and spices.
Bring the vegetable ragu to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer and cook 30 to 35 minutes or until the lentils and mushrooms are soft enough for your liking.
What defines a ragu? Can you make a vegetable ragu?
According to Miram-Webster, a ragu is “a hearty, seasoned Italian sauce of meat and tomatoes that is used chiefly in pasta dishes and that is typically made with ground beef, tomatoes, and finely chopped onions, celery, and carrots.”
So, is this dish made with mushrooms and lentils and pasta, and no meat, technically a ragu? Probably not. But is it delicious? Definitely yes!
Can you freeze this lentil and mushroom ragu recipe?
The truth is, Iโve never tried freezing this lentil and mushroom ragu recipe. It’s so delicious that my husband and I just eat it for dinner and then finish the leftover lentil pasta sauce for lunch the next day.
However, I have been known to freeze slow cooker lentil soup with sausage, and I know that the lentils break down a bit and become a little mushier than they once were when I thaw and re-heat the soup.
Since the lentils in this lentil ragu recipe are incorporated into a sauce, I don’t think it will matter much if the lentils break down a little bit more.
So, I believe this vegetable ragu recipe would be just fine thawed and reheated.
If you’re looking for a hearty pasta dish that I know freezes really well (albeit isn’t vegetarian), you may want to check out my lasagna recipe cottage cheese, rigatoni bolognese recipe or fettuccine bolognese.
One of my family members hates mushrooms. Can I use something else for this lentil ragu?
Absolutely! We’re mushroom lovers and even make mushroom tacos, but realize that not everybody feels the same. Eggplant, zucchini or summer squash all work well in place of the mushrooms in this vegan ragu recipe. Substitute them in the same quantity directly into Step 1 the recipe.
Another option would be to use chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or any other type of bean in place of the mushrooms in this lentil pasta sauce.
I would recommend using canned (drained and rinsed) chickpeas and stirring them in in Step 3.
Can I leave the wine out of this lentil pasta sauce?
Yes! No worries. Just like with my lamb bolognese and pasta with salmon, you can use an equal amount of water to deglaze the vegetable ragu pan in step 2, instead.
Top this vegan ragu with “cheese”:
If you’re not vegetarian or vegan, you can top the lentils and pasta with Parmesan cheese.
For a vegan ragu, purchase a vegan Parmesan substitute at the store. Or, you can even make your own vegan Parmesan cheese!
Mushroom & Lentil Pasta Sauce (Vegan Ragu)
This lentil and mushroom ragu recipe is a hearty lentil pasta sauce that will leave even the hungriest eaters satisfied. Serve this vegan ragu over your favorite noodles!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 2-1/2 cups water, plus more if needed
- 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed and picked through
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound spaghetti noodles
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- Vegan Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In large saucepot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, garlic, carrot, bell pepper and onion. Cook until vegetables are very brown and soft, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add wine; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Use wooden spoon to scrape browned bits from bottom of pan.
- Stir in bay leaf, crushed tomatoes, water, lentils, oregano, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 30 to 35 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Add more water in 1/2 cup increments, as needed, if ragu gets too thick.
- Meanwhile, prepare spaghetti according to package directions.
- To serve, remove bay leaf from ragu, and stir in basil. Serve ragu over spaghetti. Garnish with parsley and serve topped with cheese.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 355Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 311mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 9gSugar: 7gProtein: 14g
My five year old will not eat cooked mushroom. He will eat raw ones but not cooked โฆ kids are weird! ย Soโฆ I put the sauce in the food processor and blended it into a less chunky sauce. ย We actually liked it better like this too and my son has no idea! I now double the recipe and freeze it in dinner size portions as pasta sauce. ย
That’s awesome, Maggie. Mom win!
Can this be frozen? Iโd like to make enough for our familyโs spring break trip
Hi Johnna – Yes, this definitely can be frozen. Go for it, and enjoy your trip!
Ever since i was kid i love lentils, will definitely try this recipe at home. Looks delicious, great blog, nice post.
Thank you so much for this great recipe! I love finding recipes that I don’t have to shop at all for – everything was already in my fridge or pantry ๐
For anyone who’s more of a fan of meaty textures, I’d let this simmer for about 10 to 20 minutes longer. The lentils are about the same texture as cashews, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it might not blend in with the texture of the mushrooms and carrots like most ragu does.
Either way, this recipe is really amazing!
Great tips, Bethany! So glad you liked this recipe ๐
Hi Colleen – thanks so much for trying this recipe, and I am so sorry it’s taken me so long to respond to your question. I don’t currently have instant pot or slow cooker directions available, but I will add that to my recipe testing list for the future.
Have a great Thanksgiving!
Deliciously Tasty even for the carnivores in my house!
So glad to hear that, Val!
Is this dish freezer friendly?
Hi Nela – I’ve never tried freezing it, so I’m not entirely sure. However, generally, when I freeze lentil soup, I know that the lentils break down a little and become mushy when I re-heat the soup. If you’re OK with that, you can certainly try freezing the ragu. Good luck!
Have you tried this recipe in the slow cooker? I love ragu that cooks all day.
Hi Austin – I haven’t tried this in a slow cooker yet, but if you do test it out, definitely let me know how it goes ๐
I made this tonight for my daughter who recently became a vegetarian. ย She ate 2 servings! ย We all loved it. ย I did make changes just because i used what i had on hand. ย Its a fantastic recipe. ย Aldi only had portabella mushrooms today so thats what i used and they worked wonderful. ย I didnt have wine so i used extra water, i think i will use vegetable broth next time in lieu of wine. I used a can of whole tomatoes which i pulsed in my blender. ย No carrot (personal preference) used italian spice instead of oregano because i didnt have fresh basil and that had basil in it. ย I did need to add more liquid at the end. ย I reserved some of the hot pasta water and used that. ย After tasting i added a tablesoon of tomato paste because adding the extra liquid i felt it needed a little more tomato flavor. ย This recipe is a
keeper! ย
Hi Sandra – so glad you and your daughter loved this. I’m all about using what you have on hand, so great job! Thanks so much for stopping by ๐
Hi Lori! I love the look of this recipe, but my husband hates mushrooms. Do you have a substitution suggestion that would pair nicely with the lentils?
Hi Haley! How about some sautรฉed zucchini or summer squash?
This is a great meatless meal! I love the flavor of the sauce! Thanks for the recipeย
So glad you liked it, Sarah!
Hi Rachel – oh no, so sorry to hear you had crunchy lentils! The cooking time can definitely vary, just depending on the type of lentils, how old they are, etc etc. I would recommend gradually adding water to the ragu as it cooks, until your lentils are tender. This way the ragu won’t get too thick, and you’ll be able to cook it long enough for the lentils to soften. Best of luck!
Hi I want to become vegan but what is the easiest way to transition into this lifestyle
I’m not seeing a share button – may I share? (With the link to here, so you get credit, of course!!!) I have had the same problem you’ve had – my husband and I sneaking back in the kitchen to work on filling up a belly that’s hungry too soon after veggie meals. I’m also NOT normally a lentil fan, but I’m totally willing to try again. Thanks in advance.
Hi Raechelle – Absolutely, please share away. I don’t think I have a share button, but feel free to just copy and paste the link to share. Have a great weekend ๐
Hi Maia – Great point about the rennet in the Parmesan. Thanks so much for letting me know. So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi Lori! I came across your site on google search, whilst hunting a lentil and mushroom recipe. I can’t wait to try this, will be cooking it sometime this week. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Julie. Enjoy!
Finally made this last night, after months of eyeing it up. Made mostly for my mum who is full time vegetarian, but I try and cycle in some meatless dinner options too. Delish! Simple, hearty AND tasty… who cld ask for more?! Tks for sharing.
So glad it was a hit for you, Leslie! My favorite vegetarian meals are the hearty ones where you don’t really feel like you are “missing” anything, you know?
can i leave out the wine?
Hi Mel – so sorry for the delayed response. You can absolutely leave out the wine.
This recipe is fantastic. I’ve been making it a freezing the extra for easy dinners! Has anyone tried it in a slow cooker??
Hi Tracy! So glad you like this recipe. I haven’t tried it in a slow cooker yet, but I think it would work!
This was soooo deeeelish!!! ย Very easy to make. ย The homemade sauce was full of flavor! ย Definitely a favorite of mine to make for me and the boyfriend.
I am so glad to hear you both love it, Tracy! This is one of my favorite recipes. In fact, I keep meaning to take this ragu and make a vegetarian lasagna from it. Stay tuned ๐
My husband decided to go vegetarian last April, and I’ve been cooking all vegetarian since then. I stumbled upon this recipe last fall and loved it so much that I make it every few weeks. My husband loves it too!! It makes a large batch so you can eat it for a few days afterwards. I get so excited every time I go to cook/eat it ๐ Side note: I use zucchini noodles a lot with its and it’s delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks so much for the kind words, Ariel. I’m so glad this recipe is a big hit with your husband. I love the idea of making it with zucchini noodles. It’s a double whammy of nutrition, but still so tasty. Thanks so much for coming by!
Thanks for the recipe! I posted about it on our family blog. I served this over spaghetti squash, and it was so filling! Have you ever considered eating it just as a soup?
Hi Amanda! Thanks so much for posting about it, and love the spaghetti squash idea for serving! I think it would work pretty well as a soup if it was thinned out with a bit more broth or water?
So sorry to hear that, Scott. Thanks for letting me know.
Thanks for sharing, Monica. It looks great, and I’m so glad you enjoyed it! And between you and me: more onion is ALWAYS better in my book ๐
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I followed the recipe except I used a whole onion instead of only 1/2. I also used green lentils because that’s what I had on hand. I will be making this again for sure!
So glad to hear this, and I love that white sauce idea! It’s far too warm in Michigan now to even consider lasagna, but I’m putting it on the list for next fall/winter!
Hi Ann – so glad to hear you enjoyed it! It re-heats for lunches really well ๐
I made a pan of this savoury ragu yesterday, and I’ve just made up a batch of individual lasagne’s with it this afternoon. I love that the recipe uses simple, inexpensive and readily available whole-foods. And it makes a lovely big pan which when used as a base ingredient in other dishes, can be put to all sorts of good uses like lasagne; so would be well worth making ahead and freezing in portions. The whole lentils and mushrooms make an excellent ‘meaty’ combo, which is much preferable to frozen veggie mince so far as I’m concerned. Many thanks for a great recipe, will definitely make again ๐
Thanks so much, Penny! I actually JUST had the idea to make another batch and then use it to make lasagna with. I thought I was being super creative. haha.
Well worth making into lasagne; the ragu has all the right flavours and textures and it goes great layered with a nice creamy white sauce.
absolutely delicious! I made this over the weekend, and am excited to eat it for lunches throughout the week : ) used fresh tomatoes and added some spices into this bad boy
http://finderseaters.blogspot.com/2014/01/lentil-mushroom-ragu-sauce.html
LOVE that this is a vegetarian dish made to resemble the meat sauce that meat-eaters always love. I have to try this out!
Thanks Shaina! I hope you like it!
I want a giant bowl of this. This is on for dinner this week!
Awesome, Pamela. I hope you like it!
This is definitely hearty enough to get my crew through the night! Sounds delicious!
Thanks Marjory!
Ok…I’m totally making this! I’ve been eating like crap these past couple of weeks! ๐
Awwww, we all have times like that. Hopefully this helps you get back on track, Amy! Bonus: it makes a HUGE batch, so it’ll get you through a few meals ๐
I love lentils, one of my favs when we have vegetarian night. Now I have another way to cook them, thank you!!! Gorgeous pictures too!!
Thanks so much, Tara. I wasn’t thrilled with the lighting I was getting when I was taking the photos, but they turned out much better than I had hoped!
Thansks Trish. I’m not a big fan of those fake meat concoctions, either. Lentils are way better ๐
We generally follow a vegetarian diet, but I love the idea of using lentils in pasta sauce. SO much healthier than those phoney-meat veggie crumbles.
Oh, I have lots of “tricky” meatless recipes up my sleeve. Some of them, my husband STILL doesn’t know were meatless. hehe.
I’ll be over tomorrow to check out my “wee mention” ๐
DREAM dinner. I love a recipe that is ‘tricky’ meatless. My sister is a vegetarian and I love making meals that she’ll enjoy and eat with us rather than a sad little side dish that she gets extra rations of. Oh, BTW, giving you a wee mention tomorrow on my bloggo.
Yep, I believe I have found a recipe for lentils that my husband would enjoy. Thanks for sharing this one.
You’re welcome, Renee. My husband ended up eating this THREE times (because it made such a huge batch, and there’s just the two of us), but each time he told me he really liked it ๐