One-Pot Lentil Bolognese Pasta with Mushrooms
A hearty one pot lentil bolognese pasta with green lentils, browned mushrooms and whole-wheat penne all simmered in tomato sauce. Only one pot to wash afterwards.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Rest
- 5 min
- Serves
- 4
One-Pot Lentil Bolognese Pasta with Mushrooms is a vegan dinner recipe made with olive oil, yellow onion, carrot. It takes 60 minutes of hands-on time, plus 5 minutes resting, serves 4, and each serving has 508 calories, 24 g of protein and 15 g of fiber.
The lentils get a 15-minute head start in plain broth before the tomatoes go in. Tomato acid slows how fast lentils soften, so this way they turn tender instead of staying chalky. Chopping the mushrooms finely and browning them until dry gives the sauce a meaty, savory base, and a splash of soy sauce boosts that flavor further. The pasta cooks right in the sauce and its starch thickens it into a glossy ragù.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp27 golive oil
- 1 medium110 gyellow onion, finely diced
- 1 large79 gcarrot, peeled and finely diced
- 8 oz227 gcremini mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 tsp6 gfine salt, divided
- 4 cloves12 ggarlic, minced
- 3 tbsp48 gtomato paste
- 2 tsp2 gdried oregano
- ¼ tsp0.5 gred pepper flakes
- 1 cup192 gdried green or brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
- 4 cups960 glow-sodium vegetable broth, divided
- 1 0.2 gbay leaf
- 1 can411 gcrushed tomatoes, 28-oz can
- 1 tbsp16 gsoy sauce or tamari
- 8 oz227 gwhole-wheat penne or rigatoni
- 1 cup237 gwater, plus more as needed
- 1 tsp5.3 gbalsamic vinegar
- ½ tsp1.2 gblack pepper, freshly ground
- 2 tbsp10 gnutritional yeast, for serving (optional)
- ¼ cup5.3 gfresh basil or parsley, torn, for serving (optional)
Kit: large Dutch oven or heavy pot (5–6 qt) with lid, wooden spoon, chef's knife
Tips
- Pulse the mushrooms in a food processor for a few seconds to chop them fast. Stop while they're still pea-sized so they brown instead of turning to mush.
- Don't use red lentils here. They break down into a purée before the pasta is done. Green, brown or French (Puy) lentils keep their shape.
- Whole-wheat pasta soaks up a lot of liquid as it sits. Keep a little hot water nearby to loosen the sauce right before serving.
Swap ideas
- Regular semolina pasta instead of whole-wheat
- Milder flavor and softer bite. Start checking it 2 minutes sooner.
- ½ cup dry red wine in place of ½ cup of the broth, added after the tomato paste
- Gives a deeper, more classic bolognese flavor. Let it bubble for 2 minutes before adding the lentils.
- Shiitake mushrooms instead of cremini
- Gives a deeper, smokier umami flavor. Remove the tough stems first.
- Add 2 cups baby spinach during the final rest
- Adds greens with no extra cooking. The spinach wilts in the residual heat.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
508kcal per serving
Everything else · 4 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 1.4 g 7%
- Sugars
- 11.3 g
- Sodium
- 1665 mg 72%
- Potassium
- 1336 mg 28%
- Calcium
- 121 mg 9%
- Iron
- 7 mg 39%
- Vitamin C
- 23 mg 26%
- Vitamin B12
- 0.06 µg 3%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Oil, olive, salad or cooking, Onions, raw, Carrots, raw, Mushrooms, brown, italian, or crimini, raw, Salt, table, Garlic, raw, Tomato products, canned, paste, without salt added (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), Spices, oregano, dried, Spices, pepper, red or cayenne, Lentils, raw, Soup, vegetable broth, ready to serve, Spices, bay leaf, Tomatoes, red, ripe, canned, packed in tomato juice, Soy sauce made from soy and wheat (shoyu), Pasta, whole-wheat, dry (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), Beverages, water, tap, drinking, Vinegar, balsamic, Spices, pepper, black
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and a pinch of the salt. Cook, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent, 6–7 minutes.
Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they release their liquid, the pan looks dry again and the mushrooms are browned in spots, 8–10 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens to a brick red and starts to stick to the bottom of the pot, about 2 minutes.
Add the lentils, bay leaf and 3 cups of the broth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer gently over medium-low heat until the lentils are starting to soften but still firm in the center, about 15 minutes.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, soy sauce, the remaining 1 cup broth, the water and the rest of the salt. Turn the heat back up and bring to a steady boil.
Stir in the pasta, pushing it under the liquid. Simmer with the lid slightly ajar, stirring every 2–3 minutes so nothing catches on the bottom, until the pasta is al dente and the lentils are fully tender, 12–14 minutes. If the pot gets thick before the pasta is done, add hot water ¼ cup at a time.
Take the pot off the heat, remove the bay leaf and stir in the balsamic vinegar and black pepper. Let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes so the sauce thickens and clings to the pasta. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Serve topped with nutritional yeast and fresh basil or parsley, if using.
Storage: Let it cool, then refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce. The pasta softens a bit when frozen, so freeze up to 3 months only if you're fine with a softer texture.
Questions
- How much protein is in one-pot lentil bolognese pasta with mushrooms?
- Each of the 4 servings has 24 g of protein, 15 g of fiber and 508 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is one-pot lentil bolognese pasta with mushrooms vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does one-pot lentil bolognese pasta with mushrooms take to make?
- 15 minutes of prep and 45 minutes of cooking, so 60 minutes of hands-on time, plus 5 minutes of unattended resting.
- Can you make one-pot lentil bolognese pasta with mushrooms ahead?
- Let it cool, then refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce. The pasta softens a bit when frozen, so freeze up to 3 months only if you're fine with a softer texture.
- What can I substitute in one-pot lentil bolognese pasta with mushrooms?
- Regular semolina pasta instead of whole-wheat — milder flavor and softer bite. start checking it 2 minutes sooner.. ½ cup dry red wine in place of ½ cup of the broth, added after the tomato paste — gives a deeper, more classic bolognese flavor. let it bubble for 2 minutes before adding the lentils.. Shiitake mushrooms instead of cremini — gives a deeper, smokier umami flavor. remove the tough stems first.. Add 2 cups baby spinach during the final rest — adds greens with no extra cooking. the spinach wilts in the residual heat..
- Does one-pot lentil bolognese pasta with mushrooms contain gluten?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes gluten. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published October 7, 2026 ·Italian