Slow Cooker Lentil and Mushroom Bolognese

If you’re craving a hearty plant-based pasta sauce, look no further than this lentil and mushroom slow cooker “Bolognese.” It’s a mega “meaty” vegetarian alternative to classic Bolognese, in which baby bella mushrooms and protein-packed green lentils stand in for ground beef. 

Besides being incredibly flavorful and filling, I think you’ll love how easy it is to make. Once the ingredients are in the slow cooker, there’s no additional stirring or fussing required. As it cooks, the sauce takes on a deep, rich flavor that can only come from all-day cooking. It’s a versatile dish you’ll make all fall and winter long.

To really speed things up, I recommend chopping the veggies with a food processor. The mushrooms, celery, carrots, onion, and garlic all need to be roughly chopped into small pieces, so you can pulse them all together before adding to the slow cooker. While a standard-sized food processor works just fine, I impulse bought a mini food processor on a whim years ago and it’s now one of my most-used kitchen gadgets. 

Bolognese sauce is traditionally served with tagliatelle or pappardelle pasta — the thicker noodles hold up to heavier sauces. That said, I like any long noodle that I can twirl around a fork. This bolognese is also great over zoodles, used as a filling for lasagna, or served with cauliflower gnocchi.