Affordable meals for real life. Under $15 for four.

← All Recipes

Lentil Bolognese

Green lentils slow-cooked with vegetables and tomato into a thick meat-sauce texture, served over pasta. A reliable vegan weeknight staple on every budget food forum.

Total Cost $7.14
Per Serving $1.79
Prep 10 min
Cook 40 min
Servings 4
  • vegan
  • pasta
  • lentils
  • low-cost
  • meal-prep
  • high-fiber

Ingredients

  • 250 g dry green or brown lentils, rinsed $1.05
  • 400 g penne, rigatoni, or spaghetti $0.88
  • 1 can (796 mL) diced tomatoes $2.00
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste $0.19
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced $1.23
  • 2 carrots, finely diced $0.59
  • 2 stalks celery, finely diced $0.60
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced $0.32
  • 1 tsp dried oregano $0.05
  • 1 tsp dried basil $0.05
  • 2 tbsp olive or vegetable oil $0.13
  • 500 mL water or vegetable broth $0.00
  • to taste salt and black pepper $0.05
  • Recipe total$7.14

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
  2. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
  3. Add garlic, oregano, and basil. Cook 1 minute.
  4. Stir in tomato paste. Cook 2 minutes until darkened slightly.
  5. Add lentils, diced tomatoes, and water (or broth). Stir to combine.
  6. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender and the sauce is thick.
  7. While the sauce simmers, cook pasta in heavily salted boiling water according to package directions. Reserve 250 mL pasta water.
  8. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. If it looks too thick, add a splash of pasta water.
  9. Serve over pasta. Top with parmesan or nutritional yeast if available.

Nutrition per Serving

Estimated values per serving.

511 Calories
25g Protein
91g Carbs
6g Fat
14g Fiber
380mg Sodium
~30% DV Iron~8% DV Calcium

Gluten-Free

This recipe can be made gluten-free with substitutions.

  • Replace pasta with certified GF pasta or serve over rice (GF pasta adds approximately $1.50–$2.00 to total cost)

Lentils and all vegetables are naturally gluten-free.

Budget Notes

  • The carrot-celery-onion base (soffritto) is the foundation of the flavour. Don't skip it or rush it — the 8–10 minutes of cooking matters.
  • This freezes extremely well. Make a double batch and freeze half in portions.
  • Lentils don't need soaking. Rinse them and use them dry.
  • Green or brown lentils hold their shape and have a meatier texture than red lentils, which turn to mush. For this dish, use green or brown.