If you are looking for a great meatless pasta sauce, this Beluga Lentil Pasta Sauce is ideal.
Rich and hearty black lentils make this sauce thick, and nutritious. Dried mushrooms (soaked in red wine) add delicious savoury and earthy tones.
This plant-based beluga lentil pasta sauce is hearty, wholesome and easy to make. Packed with fibre, protein and bold flavours. A twist on traditional bolognese.
My family would eat pasta every night of the week if I let them. Healthy sauces are just what we need. Tomato puttanesca is another favourite of ours.
Lentils are actually pulses, the edible seed of legumes. They come in a variety of colours like red, brown, green and black. They can be used in a lots of creative ways from soups to stews, dips, salads and more. Great for gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan recipes. They are a budget-friendly source of protein, hearty healthy and low in fat.
Black lentils are also known as beluga lentils because they resemble beluga caviar. This vegetarian lentil bolognese is a great way to turn them into a gourmet meatless sauce. They are great in Poached Eggs & Lentil Hash for brunch or dinner.
Here are a few ways we enjoy cooking lentils in our house:
- Puy Lentils – another great pasta with lentils recipe.
- Marinated Lentils – perfect to add to soups, stews, sandwiches, and more.
- Meatless Tourtiere – a healthy version of the classic French Canadian holiday dish.
- Cream Cheese Balls – a fun appetizer for your next party.
- Vegan Mushroom Pate – excellent as a topper, sandwich spread, or dip.
Lentil Pasta Sauce Ingredients
Although this wholesome plant-based sauce has some gourmet ingredients, they are not hard to find. Be sure to check out the suggestions and recipe tips below.
- Dried mushrooms
- Red wine
- Black lentils
- Onion
- Garlic
- Bell peppers
- Canned tomatoes
- Red chili flakes and additional seasonings
- Tomato sauce
- Olive oil
- Garnish
Easy Beluga Lentil Pasta Sauce
This easy lentil bolognese is cooked in one pan. Full instructions are in the recipe card below.
Here is a quick overview:
- Soak the mushrooms in the wine. Drain and chop. Reserve the wine.
- Rinse lentils and set them aside.
- Chop all your veggies (onion, garlic, and peppers).
- Heat the oil in a skillet.
- Cook onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
- Add reserved wine and additional seasonings.
- Toss in lentils, mushrooms, and peppers.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and water.
- The sauce is done when it has a nice thick consistency.
This flavourful black lentil pasta sauce is a great alternative to a traditional meat sauce. It takes about 45 minutes from start to finish. During that time cook, your pasta.
Serve this lentil mushroom sauce over any pasta for a satisfying plant-based meal. Garnish with fresh grated and chopped basil.
Suggestions/Recipe Tips
Dried Mushrooms – There is a huge variety of dried wild mushrooms to choose from. Morels, Chanterelles, Lobster, Black Trumpet, Porcini and more. All have unique flavours and any variety will work wonderfully in this lentil mushroom sauce. They can be found in grocery stores and online too. They always need to be reconstituted. You can use any liquid you like. You can replace the dried mushrooms with regular mushrooms but you made need to increase the amount.
Red Wine – Dry red wine is best for this recipe. You can use white if you prefer. Don’t want to use wine? No problem, leave it out. Water can be used for the dried mushrooms instead.
Seasonings – Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning. You can play around with any combination you like.
Garnish – Grated cheese and fresh herbs are always great choices.
Pasta – You can choose any kind and shape of pasta you wish. You can even use gluten-free pasta. Did you know there is lentil pasta? So delicious. This sauce would also be perfect over homemade herbed potato gnocchi.
Storage – Always store in a sealed container in the fridge. This sauce will last 4-5 days. It also freezes well and will last 4-5 months in the freezer.
Reheating – I like to reheat in a pot on the stove. Another option is in a covered dish in a moderate oven. You can use the microwave too, but be sure to mix often, and do it on a lower setting to get even heating.
Need a little more meatless inspiration? Give these lentil recipes a try:
Beluga Lentil Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry mushrooms
- 1 cup dry red wine (your choice)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup Beluga lentils (rinsed)
- 5 ounces onion (diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- 10 ounces bell peppers (diced) (I used yellow and orange)
- 19 ounces canned petit cut tomatoes (1 can)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 14 ounces tomato sauce (1 can)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (for garnish)
- Fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano (for garnish)
Instructions
- Soak mushrooms in the red wine for approximately 30 minutes.Drain and squeeze the mushrooms. Reserve the wine. Chop the mushrooms.
Rinse lentils and set aside.1 cup dry mushrooms, 1 cup dry red wine - Heat a heavy bottom skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the onion, garlic, and chili flakes. Sauté for 5 minutes.5 ounces onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- Add the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and the reserved wine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat slightly and simmer for 3 minutes.1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, Salt and pepper
- Add the drained lentils and cook for an additional 5 minutes.1 cup Beluga lentils
- Add the mushrooms and peppers. Cook for 5 minutes.10 ounces bell peppers (diced)
- Add the water, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 25-30 minutes (until desired sauce consistency).1 cup water, 14 ounces tomato sauce, 19 ounces canned petit cut tomatoes
- Remove from heat. Serve over your favourite pasta garnished with chopped fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese.2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, Fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Ann
This looks delicious! I tend to find meatless sauces can lack some flavor, but your sauce sounds very flavorful!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
There is no lack of flavour in this lentil pasta sauce, I promise.
Megs
This is an incredible sauce. I am in love with the beluga lentils now.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Beluga lentils are awesome in this pasta sauce.
Mikayla
The rich depth of flavors in this dish lead you to believe the meal took all day to prepare. Absolutely delicious.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I have to agree with you, this pasta sauce made with black lentils is rich and delicious.
Amy Liu Dong
It looks good and tasty!
I am going to make this for everyone. Yum!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
This lentil pasta sauce is hearty and delicious.
Enri Lemoine
I’m a lentil lover, but I must confess never in my whole life would I imagine making pasta sauce with them. I have beluga lentils in my pantry, and your recipe is next! Thank you!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
You will love this beluga lentil sauce, hearty and rich.
Julie
What great flavors in this sauce! I was looking for a good way to use lentils and this was perfect. THe entire family asked for seconds.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
So glad our family enjoyed this recipe for lentil pasta sauce.
Megan
Such a delicious recipe and a nice change from my usual tomato sauce, but still meaty. The wine adds such nice flavor with the lentils.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I totally agree, this black beluga sauce is meaty without the meat.
Natalie
My kids love your pasta sauce. It’s healthy, delicious and so simple to make, thanks!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Glad you and your family enjoyed this lentil pasta sauce.
Ksenia
Beluga lentils are beautiful in all forms, and your recipe really does them justice! Gorgeous adaptation.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Thanks so much. This lentil pasta sauce is so hearty and delicious.
Tara
Oh wow! So much flavor paired with the beluga lentils in this pasta sauce. It looks absolutely fantastic!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
You will not be disappointed with this beluga lentil pasta sauce. Budget-friendly too.
Dana
We all loved the flavor in this! Perfect blend of spices. And it was a nice change—never used lentils in a pasta sauce before. So good!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Lentils are a great alternative for meat in sauces.
Toni
This is so good! My whole family was in love! Thanks for the recipe!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
You are welcome. So glad your family enjoyed this pasta sauce made with lentils.
Tayler
We had this pasta for dinner last night and omg was it delicious! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
You are very welcome. This black lentil sauce is a favourite in our house too.
Oscar
What a great sauce for those days when we don’t want to eat meat. Plus I love that it’s all made in one pot, I served it over zucchini noodles and the family loved it. Great recipe.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
So glad you loved this lentil pasta sauce. It is so versatile and delicous.
Freya
As a vegan, I can never have too many lentil recipes and this is one of my all time favs! So easy and full of flavour!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Even meat lovers will not miss the meat in the black beluga lentil recipe.