This just might become your new favorite pasta recipe! The simple tomato sauce gets blended up with raw cashews into an ultra-smooth, creamy sauce. This spaghetti bolognese is loaded with veggies, healthy fats, and whole grains that will leave you feeling nourished and indulged.
I’ve made it with both beef and lentils, and it’s equally delicious both ways. Try it out with lentils on your meat-head hubbies or friends! Sshh…
Ingredient highlight
Canned tomatoes! While we often think that the freshest produce is the most nutritious, think again! Canned tomatoes actually have a much higher concentration of nutrients like calcium, iron, and lycopene (the superstar antioxidant found in tomatoes).
PRO TIP: whole peeled canned tomatoes are the least processed and purest form of canned tomatoes. They’re all I use when I make tomato sauce. Diced tomatoes have calcium chloride added to them so that the chunks don’t break down, adding a flavor and texture that I find unpleasant!
Servings 4 People
Prep Time 5 minutes 
Cook Time 15 minutes 
Total Time 20 minutes Ingredients
For the tomato sauce:
- 1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
- ⅓ cup raw cashews
- ½ tsp kosher salt
For the bolognese:
- 12 oz whole grain spaghetti use 8 oz for a more saucy, less noodl-y experience
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed, chopped
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms, stems removed, chopped about 2 cups
- 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
- ¼-½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 lb ground beef or 2 cups cooked green or brown lentils
- ½ cup grated parmesan (optional)
- ½ bunch basil leaves, thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to the package instructions. For 12 ounces of pasta, use 4 quarts water and 2 tablespoons salt. Reserve ½ cup of your pasta water. Drain and set aside.
- If using lentils, in a medium pot, add 1 cup lentils and enough water to cover by at least 2-inches. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes, or until the lentils are tender, but not mushy. Drain and set aside.
- In a medium pot over medium-high heat, stir together the tomatoes, cashews, and salt. Use your spoon/spatula to break open the whole tomatoes to release their juices (careful of the splatter!). Once the tomato sauce starts to bubble aggressively, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil, carrots, bell pepper, mushrooms, ½ teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes (if using). Cook until vegetables have softened and water has evaporated, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the beef and remaining salt and cook, breaking the beef up into little chunks, for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through. If using lentils, stir in 2 cups cooked lentils with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and cook for 1 minute. If there is a lot of fat in your pan when you tilt it, skim it off with a spoon. We love fat but don’t love greasy pasta.
- Add the tomato cashew mixture and ½ cup reserved pasta water to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy (make sure you allow steam to escape when blending hot liquid!). Pour the sauce into the pan and cook for 1 minute to warm everything up, stirring to combine. Taste and add salt, if needed.
- Add pasta to your bowl, top with plenty of bolognese, and mix it all together. Top with basil (if using) and Parmesan (if using).
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Prep/chop bell pepper, carrot, and mushroom
- Cook the veggie and beef or lentil mixture
- Cook and blend the sauce (if waiting to cook the pasta, just stir the pasta water into the sauce when you heat it up)
- Cook the spaghetti
- Grate parmesan (if using)
Substitutions:
- To make gluten-free, use brown rice noodles (recommend Jovial Foods brand).
- You can either use cooked lentils or beef to make it vegetarian or not.
- Substitute ground chicken, turkey, or bison for the ground beef.
- Easily substitute any chopped up vegetables for the veggies. I’ve tried with broccoli and cauliflower and it all works. Just use about 3-4 cups total of chopped veggies.
Storage:
-
Store leftover pasta and bolognese in separate airtight containers in the fridge.
- Bolognese sauce: up to 4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer
- Pasta: up to 5 days in the fridge
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Reheat the bolognese sauce in a pan or in the microwave until warmed through, stirring every 30 seconds or so.
- Warm up the noodles in the microwave for a short 15-30 seconds or just until warm. We don’t want to blast them or make them mushy.
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