This Vegan Bolognese Pasta recipe is an exclusive from Rebecca Hincke’s cookbook The Vegan Pasta Cookbook. Click here to find out where you can order it. Rebecca is the founder of The Zesty Lime on Instagram, where she shares comforting yet nutritious plant-based recipes.
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Plant-Based Bolognese Pasta
In my family, we called Bolognese “meat sauce,” and I’d never even heard the term “Spag Bol” until I moved to England! Over the years, I’ve adapted and perfected my plant-based version of this classic pasta sauce to create a dish that’s somewhere in between traditional Bolognese (minus the meat, of course) and the more simplified sauce my mom used to make. Bolognese is traditionally eaten with tagliatelle, or other wide, flat noodles, so I’ve paired this rich sauce with pappardelle, but it will taste just as great with the pasta of your choice!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Olive oil
- Onions
- Garlic
- Carrots
- Celery
- Italian seasoning (or basil, parsley, oregano, and sage)
- Vegan “ground beef”
- Vegan red or white wine
- Tomato paste
- Tamari or soy sauce
- Tomatoes
- Tomato passata
- Sea salt
- Pepper
- Bay leaves
- Basil
- Pappardelle or other long, flat pasta of choice
- Almond parm
- Basil
How To Make This Vegan Bolognese Pasta
Step 1: Sautéing Vegetables and Vegan Ground Beef
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat, and once hot, sauté the onions for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft and translucent.
Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute before adding the carrots and celery to the pot. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the veg has softened, then add the seasoning and vegan “ground beef,” stirring it into the sautéed veg. Cook for another 5 minutes (or until the “meat” is thawed and cooked through if using frozen), stirring occasionally, then pour in the wine and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat to cook off the alcohol.
Step 2: Simmering the Tomato Sauce
Next, add the tomato paste and tamari, along with the tomatoes and tomato passata. Stir everything together until well incorporated, and then season with the salt and pepper and add in the bay leaves.
Cover the pot with a lid and simmer on medium-low heat for an hour, stirring occasionally throughout. If the sauce is sticking to the bottom of the pot, reduce the heat a little. If adding basil, stir it into the sauce just before serving. Season with more salt and pepper as needed.
Step 3: Preparing and Serving The Vegan Bolognese
When the Bolognese is nearly ready, cook the pasta in salted, boiling water to al dente. Drain, then transfer it back to the pot it was cooked in, and stir in a few spoonfuls of sauce to keep the pasta from sticking together. Serve topped with a generous portion of Bolognese and garnish with Almond parm and basil. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Vegan Bolognese – Recipe Card
Classic Vegan Bolognese
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp 45 ml olive oil
- 2 medium onions - finely diced
- 5 –6 large cloves garlic - minced
- 2 medium carrots - finely diced
- 2 ribs celery - finely diced
- 2 tbsp 7 g Italian seasoning (or 1½ tsp [5 g] each dried basil, parsley, oregano, and sage)
- 12 oz 340 g fresh or frozen vegan “ground beef”
- ½ cup 120 ml vegan red or white wine
- 2 tbsp 32 g tomato paste
- 2 tbsp 30 ml tamari or soy sauce
- 1 28-oz [794-g] can crushed or chopped tomatoes
- 2 cups 500 g tomato passata
- 2 tsp 12 g flaked sea salt, plus more to taste
- Pepper - to taste
- 2 –3 dried bay leaves
- Handful of fresh basil - leaves only (optional)
- 12 oz 340 g dried pappardelle or other long, flat pasta of choice
To Serve
- Almond parm
- Fresh basil
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat, and once hot, sauté the onions for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft and translucent.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute before adding the carrots and celery to the pot. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the veg has softened, then add the seasoning and vegan “ground beef,” stirring it into the sautéed veg. Cook for another 5 minutes (or until the “meat” is thawed and cooked through if using frozen), stirring occasionally, then pour in the wine and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat to cook off the alcohol.
- Next, add the tomato paste and tamari, along with the tomatoes and tomato passata. Stir everything together until well incorporated, and then season with the salt and pepper and add in the bay leaves.
- Cover the pot with a lid and simmer on medium-low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally throughout. If the sauce is sticking to the bottom of the pot, reduce the heat a little. If adding basil, stir it into the sauce just before serving. Season with more salt and pepper as needed.
- When the Bolognese is nearly ready, cook the pasta in salted, boiling water to al dente. Drain, then transfer it back to the pot it was cooked in, and stir in a few spoonfuls of sauce to keep the pasta from sticking together. Serve topped with a generous portion of Bolognese and garnish with Almond parm and basil. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Notes
- For an added depth of flavor, stir in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of balsamic vinegar or 2 to 3 teaspoons (10 to 15 ml) of vegan Worcestershire sauce (or both!) to the sauce while it simmers.
- While Almond parm is my go-to pasta garnish, there’s a secret hack for when you want the look and feel of Parmesan but don’t have any on hand (or perhaps don’t want to add any extra saltiness to the dish). The secret is NUTS! Yes, that’s right: You can grate most nuts using a microplane or fine grater to get soft, nutty flakes that look just like Parmesan, and taste mild and delicious. My favorite nuts for grating are walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, and hazelnuts.
Reprinted with permission from The Vegan Pasta Cookbook by Rebecca Hincke. Page Street Publishing Co. 2022. Photo credit: Rebecca Hincke.
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About The Cookbook
Whether you seek simple yet delicious dinner ideas, vegan versions of your favorite noodle dishes, or easy meals that increase your veggie intake, blogger Rebecca Hincke has pasta for you. In this comprehensive collection, she shares 60 irresistible recipes―from time-honored Italian fare and Asian-inspired stir-fries to nourishing noodle soups, plant-powered pasta salads, and more. Armed with this creative cookbook, you’ll be ready to make every night pasta night!
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More Vegan Recipes You Might Like
If you enjoyed this Vegan Bolognese Pasta recipe, you might also like this Vegan Caesar Pasta Salad by the same author. Click here for the recipe.
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