It’s true – this is The Best Vegan Spaghetti ever! Made with a meaty lentil and ground “beef”-packed tomato sauce, this is an easy weeknight meal you can prepare in a flash.
If you love pasta comfort food, make sure to try my Vegan Baked Ziti, Best Vegan Lasagna and Vegan Bolognese. Enjoy!
I can’t think of a dinner that’s more classic than spaghetti. Fresh, tangy, and meaty tomato sauce over spaghetti noodles with plenty of vegan parmesan? Yum!
This is The Best Vegan Spaghetti recipe because it’s:
- Quick and easy
- Made with a meaty mix of lentils and vegan ground beef
- An easy vegan sauce you can store or freeze for later
- Filled with classic Italian flavors
Better yet, it’s done and ready to eat in less than 45 minutes. Just like my Lentil Bolognese, this vegan spaghetti recipe is a simple weeknight dinner you can turn to when you want to serve something delicious, nutritious, and comforting!
If you have an Instant Pot, try this Instant Pot Spaghetti!
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Vegan ground beef – Impossible or Beyond Meat ground “beef” works best. You can use any brand of vegan beef or even rehydrated TVP if you’d like. If you’re not a fan of meat substitutions, use an extra can of lentils or chopped mushrooms instead.
- Yellow onion – Sauteed onion gives the vegan beef lots of savory flavors.
- Lentils – Use canned green or brown lentils to keep the recipe easy and fast. You can cook your own lentils from scratch ahead of time if you want but don’t try to cook dried lentils in the sauce because they won’t cook properly.
- Tomato sauce and paste – Using both tomato sauce and tomato paste will give the homemade vegan spaghetti sauce a sweet, tangy, tomato base.
- Water
- Italian seasoning – If you don’t have a pre-made mix, make your own Italian seasoning by stirring dried basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, and garlic powder together.
- Dried parsley flakes
- Garlic powder
- Red chili flakes – For just a hint of spice.
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce – This is optional but delicious. You can use soy sauce or gluten free tamari instead.
- Sugar – This will bring balance to every bite. Try not to skip it!
- Fresh basil – To stir into the finished sauce, optional.
- Spaghetti noodles – To serve with the sauce of course!
How to make vegan spaghetti
This is simply an overview with photos. For the full, printable recipe, see the recipe card below.
First, saute the “beef” and onions. Add the vegan beef and onion to a large skillet and cook until the meat is browned and the onion is soft and translucent.
Add everything else into the skillet. Stir the lentils, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, Italian seasoning, parsley, garlic powder, chili flakes, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar into the sauce. Bring it up to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for about 30 minutes.
Get your noodles ready while the sauce simmers. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside when they’re done.
The sauce is almost ready! Stir the fresh basil into the cooked sauce, then serve over spaghetti noodles in bowls with vegan parmesan and crusty bread. Enjoy!
Serving suggestions
The spaghetti is pretty hearty so I like to serve it with a simple salad or green vegetable, such as Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Air Fryer Asparagus or Instant Pot Kale.
Dutch Oven Bread is so amazing with spaghetti and is pretty easy to make! Of course you can always buy a fresh loaf from your local grocery store.
Tips for success
- Add veggies – Load your vegan spaghetti sauce with lots of vegetables if you want. Saute chopped carrots, bell peppers, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, or any other vegetable you like in the pot.
- Gluten free spaghetti – Simply swap the regular spaghetti noodles for gluten free noodles or zoodles instead.
Storing and freezing vegan spaghetti sauce
To store: The spaghetti sauce will keep for about 1 week in an airtight container in the fridge.
To freeze: Keep the sauce in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Want more easy vegan pasta recipes?
- The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Creamy Pesto Gnocchi
- The Best Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
- Vegan Sausage Pasta with Spinach
The Best Vegan Spaghetti
Ingredients
Spaghetti sauce
- 16 ounces vegan ground beef I used Beyond
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 15 ounce can lentils, drained and rinsed
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce, optional
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, optional
For serving
- 16 ounces spaghetti noodles
- Vegan Parmesan
- Dutch Oven Bread or other crusty bread
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the vegan beef and onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegan meat has browned and the onion is translucent.
- Add the lentils, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, Italian seasoning, parsley, garlic powder, chili flakes, Worcestershire sauce and sugar.
- Stir well to combine. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover the pot and simmer, for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- While the sauce cooks, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions, then drain and set aside.
- Stir the fresh basil into the sauce, if using, and serve over cooked spaghetti noodles with vegan parmesan and crusty bread, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
-
You can use any brand of vegan beef, or even rehydrated tvp. Or for a non-meaty option, use an extra can of lentils or chopped mushrooms instead.
-
I use canned lentils here to make the recipe easier and faster, but you can cook your own lentils from scratch if you prefer. Dried lentils won’t cook correctly in the sauce, they must be already cooked when you add them.
- For gluten free, use gluten free spaghetti or other pasta.
Fantastic! My whole family loves it.
Another delicious recipe!! Thanks Nora!
Another hit! I made this for dinner tonight and my family raved about it. Nora, you are basically my go to for every recipe these days. Whenever I made a new dinner or dessert, someone in the family says something like “Is this another Nora recipe?” I tell them yes and get “Then we know it’s going to be good!” Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi Kristi. Your family’s love of my recipes and kind words are encouraging and kind! Thank you for sharing your feedback, and I’m thrilled you guys are loving my recipes! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Thanks for the reply! Made with passata and it was delicious! All 3 kids have empty plates and asked for seconds. Will be adding it to our meal rotation! Thank you
I’m so thrilled the spaghetti was a hit with your family, and that you are adding it to your meal rotation! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Hi, what do you mean by ‘tomato sauce’? Tinned tomato, or passata? Thanks
It’s a fairly thin tomato puree. I believe the equivalent would be passata. Hope that helps!
I like this taste. It is also easyt o follow the ingredients. Thank you for sharing that.
What pasta is vegan?
Most packaged pasta—including spaghetti, rotini, and any other type—is vegan. Sometimes, you might see “egg” listed as an ingredient in “fresh” pastas, so those are not vegan.
Hi, Nora! We don’t have canned lentils here. How many dried lentils would you recommend cooking?
Hi Jenny. You can cook 3/4 cup (4.5 ounces) of the dried version and end up with about 15 oz cooked.