This is a ground beef and lentil Bolognese served over wide, egg-free pappardelle made from silken tofu and flour. The sauce simmers for four-plus hours, so it rewards planning ahead — make a big batch on the weekend and you’ll have rich, ready-to-go pasta sauce for several meals. The dairy-free creaminess comes from almond milk and a flour slurry, not cream, so it reheats cleanly without breaking.
The technique that matters
Two things drive this recipe. First, the lentil-breaking step: after adding the cooked brown lentils, you actively break them up in the pot for 7–10 minutes. This isn’t optional — it’s what gives the sauce its body. Whole lentils left intact make the sauce chunky and uneven; broken-down lentils thicken it from the inside out, so you don’t need a roux or heavy cream to get that dense, coating texture. Second, the almond milk and flour need to go in together as a slurry, not separately. If you pour cold almond milk straight into a hot pan without the flour, the sauce will look thin and slightly curdled for a long time before it recovers. Whisk the 2 tablespoons of flour into the 2 cups of almond milk before it hits the pot, and the sauce tightens up predictably within a few minutes. Both steps take less than 15 minutes total but determine whether the finished sauce is silky or gluey.
Common problems and fixes
- Pasta dough tears when rolling: The tofu-based dough needs the full 30-minute rest in the fridge. If you skip or shorten it, the gluten hasn’t relaxed and the sheet will snap back and tear at the pasta machine. Rest it properly and roll one quarter at a time, keeping the rest wrapped.
- Sauce tastes flat after long simmering: Long cooking mellows salt. Taste the sauce in the last 30 minutes, not at the start. A pinch of salt added near the end will sharpen the tomato and herb flavors more effectively than salt added early.
- Lentils are still firm after adding them to the sauce: The recipe assumes the lentils are already cooked before they go into the pot. If you add dry or undercooked lentils, they won’t soften properly in the sauce and will stay gritty. Cook them separately to tender first.
- Sauce sticks and scorches on the bottom during the long simmer: After the first hour, drop the heat to its lowest setting and use a heavy-bottomed pot. Stir the bottom every 20–30 minutes. A thin layer of scorched sauce will turn the whole batch bitter — skip the garnish, not worth the extra dish, but do not skip the stirring.
- Reheated sauce is too thick: The lentils continue absorbing liquid as the sauce sits in the fridge. When reheating a stored portion, add a splash of water or unsalted stock and stir over medium-low heat. It will loosen back to the right consistency within a couple of minutes.
Creamy Pappardelle Bolognese with Lentils
Equipment
Ingredients
Pappardelle Ingredients
- 6 oz silken tofu - 170g
3 cups all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK) - plain flour in Australia and UK, 375g
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil - extra virgin- 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil - extra virgin
1 ½ tablespoons water - 22ml- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK) - for dusting
Bolognese Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter - 15g- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt - adjust to taste after simmering
½ cup yellow onion - diced, about 1 small onion, 75g
½ cup carrots - diced, about 1 medium carrot, 65g
1 lb ground beef (minced beef) - minced beef, 450g
5 cloves garlic - minced- 2 cups brown lentils - cooked, about 3/4 cup / 150g dried, simmered 25–30 minutes until tender, 400g
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk - 480ml
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK) - plain flour, 16g
- 2 cups dry white wine - 480ml
56 oz passata or crushed tomatoes (tomato puree with seeds removed) - tomato purée with seeds removed, 1.6kg
28 oz tomatoes - puréed in a blender, 800g
Instructions
Pappardelle Instructions
- Put all pappardelle ingredients except the dusting flour into the bowl of a food processor. Process for 30–60 seconds until the mixture comes together into a ball. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic — the surface should feel silky, not sticky. Wrap tightly in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours).6 oz silken tofu, 3 cups all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK), 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons water, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Cut the chilled dough into quarters. Working with one piece at a time (keep the rest covered), roll through a pasta machine starting at the widest setting and gradually narrowing to level 5 (about 2mm thick). Dust generously with all-purpose flour between passes to prevent sticking.1 tablespoon all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK)
- Roll the pasta sheets up and cut into pappardelle, about 3/4-inch wide. Separate pasta and dust with flour.1 tablespoon all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK)
- Boil a pot of salted water, then add pappardelle pasta for about 2 to 3 minutes, drain, and toss with the sauce.
Bolognese Instructions
- Heat butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the salt, diced onion, and diced carrots. Sauté for 5 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.1 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/2 cup yellow onion, 1/2 cup carrots, 5 cloves garlic
- Add the ground beef, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5–7 minutes over medium heat until thoroughly browned with no pink remaining.1 lb ground beef (minced beef)
- Add the cooked lentils, dried oregano, and dried basil. Cook for 7–10 minutes, actively pressing and breaking up the lentils against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon until they are mostly mashed and the sauce has visibly thickened.2 cups brown lentils, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon dried basil
- In a separate bowl or jug, whisk the 2 tablespoons of flour into the 2 cups of almond milk until no lumps remain. Pour the slurry into the pot and stir well. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat so that it maintains a gentle boil. Cook the milk down for 20–30 minutes.2 cups unsweetened almond milk, 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK)
- Add the wine. Increase the heat to bring to a boil, and then lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook the wine down for 20 to 30 minutes.2 cups dry white wine
- Add the passata and the puréed tomatoes. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to the lowest setting so the sauce bubbles only occasionally. Simmer uncovered for 4 to 5 hours, stirring every 30–45 minutes to prevent sticking on the bottom. The sauce is ready when it is deeply coloured, thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, and reduced by roughly one-third.56 oz passata or crushed tomatoes (tomato puree with seeds removed), 28 oz tomatoes
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Can I freeze the Bolognese sauce, and how long does it keep?
Yes — the sauce freezes well for up to 3 months in airtight containers. Portion it into 2-cup servings before freezing so you can thaw exactly what you need without defrosting the whole batch.
Do I have to make the pasta from scratch, or can I use store-bought pappardelle?
Store-bought dried pappardelle works fine here. Cook it according to package directions, usually 8–10 minutes, and drain it just before tossing with the sauce.
How do I know the ground beef is fully cooked and safe to eat?
Ground beef must reach an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C). In a sauce like this, browning the beef thoroughly before adding liquids — no pink remaining and juices running clear — is the practical check, and the long simmer that follows keeps it well above that threshold.
Can I make the sauce the day before and reheat it?
Yes, and it actually tastes better the next day once the flavors have had time to settle. Store it covered in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheat gently over medium-low heat with a splash of water to loosen it.
Can I substitute a different type of milk if I don’t have almond milk?
Any unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk — oat, soy, or cashew — works as a direct swap. Avoid sweetened or vanilla varieties, which will make the sauce taste off.
More mince recipes to try
- Creamy Beef Spinach Pasta
- Beef Ricotta Lasagna Rolls
- Hearty Beef Mushroom Stroganoff
- Spicy Calabrian Lamb Ragù
