This lentil bolognese spaghetti recipe was originally posted in my “budget recipes with 5 ingredients or less” Youtube video. My goal was to share cheap/ affordable plant based recipes using under 5 ingredients. This lentil bolognese sauce came out soo tasty and only cost $4 for the recipe!
To keep this recipe only to 5 ingredients, the marinara sauce is what flavors the dish. Choose a marinara sauce with lots of flavor and seasonings added. The one I like to use is Trader Joe’s marinara for $1.79. If you are using a plain tomato sauce I reccomend adding some Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt and pepper!
I also like to use small brown lentils in this recipe. If you are using normal size ones, add 2 minutes to the cook time. This is a great recipe for the Instant Pot but you can easily adjust it to make on the stove top. Simply add all ingredients to a sauce pan and simmer for about 20 minutes until the lentils are tender, adding more water if necessary. Also, I kept this recipe simple by using only carrots and onion as the veggies, but feel free to add other veggies like mushrooms, zucchini, spinach or peppers!
I originally posted this recipe to my Youtube channel in a video titled “$4 Vegan Recipes with 5 Ingredients”. Watch the video down below.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- 1. Heat up the Instant Pot on saute. Once it has heated up, add in the onions and cook for 3 minutes until soft. Splash in water to prevent sticking. Stir in the carrots and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir occasionally.
- 2. Add in the rinsed lentils, water, whole jar of marinara sauce and stir. Put the lid on and turn the valve to sealing. Press manual for 10 minutes. Do a natural release when the timer goes off for about 20 more minutes. In the mean time, boil the spaghetti according to instructions on the package.
- 3. When the natural release is done on the Instant Pot, carefully take off the lid and stir. It might be a little watery at first but it will thicken up as it sits. Serve on top of the spaghetti.