Healthy Beef and Lentil Bolognese (Printable Version)
Hearty Italian-style sauce with lean beef, protein-rich lentils, and vegetables for a nutritious, satisfying meal.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 14 oz lean ground beef
→ Legumes
02 - 1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
08 - 14 oz canned diced tomatoes
09 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
→ Liquids
10 - 3 cups low-sodium beef or vegetable broth
11 - 2 tbsp olive oil
→ Herbs & Spices
12 - 1 tsp dried oregano
13 - 1 tsp dried basil
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
16 - Salt and pepper, to taste
→ Optional
17 - Fresh basil or parsley, chopped
18 - Grated Parmesan cheese
# How To Make It:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and red bell pepper. Sauté for 6–8 minutes until softened.
02 - Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add ground beef. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and no longer pink.
04 - Stir in tomato paste, oregano, basil, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes.
05 - Add lentils, diced tomatoes with juice, and broth. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
06 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 35–40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender and sauce is thickened. Add more broth or water if needed.
07 - Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf. Serve hot over whole wheat pasta, zucchini noodles, or rice. Garnish with fresh herbs and Parmesan if desired.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
- The lentils soak up all those Italian herbs and tomatoes, becoming tiny flavor bombs that make every bite interesting
- You get that rich bolognese satisfaction with half the meat and way more fiber, but nobody at the table will feel like they're missing out
02 -
- The sauce continues to thicken as it cools, so don't panic if it looks a bit thinner than you expect right off the stove
- Red lentils will dissolve into the sauce while brown and green lentils hold their shape, so choose based on the texture you prefer
03 -
- Rinse your lentils thoroughly and pick through them for any small stones or debris, I learned this the hard way
- Let the sauce rest for 10 minutes off the heat before serving, the flavors meld together magically