The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.
As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.
Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.
Italian-style Lentil Bolognese with Brown Rice Penne & Tenderstem Broccoli
Vibrant red lentils, tangy sundried tomatoes and tender courgettes simmer away in this veggie bolognese. Packed with garlic and rosemary for delish Italian flavour. Just add vibrant tenderstem broccoli, then stir in brown rice penne.
1/3 daily fibre
5 of 5 a day
Low sat fat
Serving size
Ingredients
- 10g pine nuts
- 1 tbsp garlic, basil and parsley paste (garlic puree, basil, rapeseed oil, parsley, sea salt, acidity regulator: citric acid)
- 80g red split lentils (Red Split Lentil 99%, Vegetable Oil 1%)
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (Dried Inactive Yeast, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Thiamine, Vitamin B6, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12.)
- 120g brown rice penne pasta (Soya) (Brown rice flour 100%)
- 180g Tenderstem broccoli
- 10g vegetable stock powder (Chicory Extract, Salt, Yeast Extracts, Onion Powder, Carrot Extract, Tomato Powder, Rapeseed Oil, Natural Flavouring.)
- 200g passata (tomatoes, salt, citric acid)
- 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste (Tomato Puree, Sundried Tomatoes, Rapeseed Oil, Water, Pine Kernels, Salt)
- 110g baby tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 1 courgette
Nutritional Information
Calories: 675
Protein: 26g
Carbs: 88g
Fat: 25g
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp garlic, basil and parsley paste (use half) (garlic puree, basil, rapeseed oil, parsley, sea salt, acidity regulator: citric acid)
- 80g red split lentils (use half) (Red Split Lentil 99%, Vegetable Oil 1%)
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (use half) (Dried Inactive Yeast, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Thiamine, Vitamin B6, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12.)
- 10g vegetable stock powder (use half) (Chicory Extract, Salt, Yeast Extracts, Onion Powder, Carrot Extract, Tomato Powder, Rapeseed Oil, Natural Flavouring.)
- 1 onion (use half)
- 120g brown rice penne pasta (use half) (Soya) (Brown rice flour 100%)
- 180g Tenderstem broccoli (use half)
- 110g baby tomatoes (use half)
- 200g passata (use half) (tomatoes, salt, citric acid)
- 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste (use half) (Tomato Puree, Sundried Tomatoes, Rapeseed Oil, Water, Pine Kernels, Salt)
- 1 courgette (use half)
Nutritional Information
Calories: 641
Protein: 25g
Carbs: 87g
Fat: 22g
Italian-style Lentil Bolognese with Brown Rice Penne & Tenderstem Broccoli
Vibrant red lentils, tangy sundried tomatoes and tender courgettes simmer away in this veggie bolognese. Packed with garlic and rosemary for delish Italian flavour. Just add vibrant tenderstem broccoli, then stir in brown rice penne.
Getting hungry?
Find 56 recipes a week just like this one at Mindful Chef, that are all:
Delicious, high quality food - and lots of it
No stodgy refined carbs - no food comas here
Goodness from natural food - full of fibre
Cooking Instructions
Before you start
- Pull out a large lidded frying pan, a large saucepan, a measuring jug & a sieve
Get started
- Heat the large frying pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the pine nuts and nutritional yeast toast for 2-3 mins, tossing regularly, until golden brown. Remove and set aside
- Finely dice the onion. Dice the courgette into 1cm chunks. Halve the tomatoes
- Return the frying pan with 1 tbsp oil to medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and courgette and cook for 5-6 mins, until golden and softened. Season with salt and pepper
Simmer the sauce
- Add the tomatoes, garlic herb paste and sundried tomato paste to the veg pan. Cook for another 2 mins, then stir in the passata, lentils, stock powder and 300ml water (150ml for 1 person)
- Cover with a lid and simmer for 22-25 mins, until the sauce thickens and the lentils are cooked. Stir occasionally. Add more water if it becomes too dry
Cook the pasta & broccoli
- Meanwhile, trim the broccoli
- Bring the large saucepan filled with salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the penne and boil for 7-8 mins, until cooked. Add the broccoli for the final 3 mins, until soft
- Drain together, then toss with 1 tsp olive oil and a pinch of salt
Plate up
- Stir the penne through the sauce
- Share the lentil bolognese between bowls. Serve the broccoli on the side. Sprinkle with the pine nut crumb
Looking for more recipe inspiration?
Subscribe to our newsletter and get delicious seasonal inspiration and recipes, plus 25% off your first 4 boxes with us!
By signing up to our mailing list you agree to the terms of our Privacy Policy.