Vegetarian “Bolognese”

This Vegetarian “Bolognese” has been in my weekly meal rotation for at least a year now! Before you come for me, this is not an official Bolognese sauce by any means. It is, however, heavily inspired by the classic meat-based sauce from the Italian city of Bologna. It would be a disservice to Bolognese sauce everywhere to not mention the influence that is has on this recipe.

This Vegetarian “Bolognese” is a take on an Italian classic with a few modern twists. It’s bursting with umami flavor, bites of carrots, celery, and onions, and bursting with juicy cherry tomatoes! What’s not to love?

What makes this different than a typical Bolognese Sauce?

Well, for starters, the most obvious difference is that this is vegetarian! Bolognese sauce contains:

• pancetta, carrots, celery, onion, ground beef, white wine, tomato pasta, and milk

While this recipe calls for simple swaps for the pancetta and beef and a boost of fresh cherry tomatoes instead of tomato paste. This recipe is certainly an adaptation of the original, fabulous dish!

Pasta

Traditionally, Bolognese sauce is served with fresh tagliatelle because the wide noodle shapes are ideal for carrying this hearty sauce! This sauce is loaded, so the right pasta shape is important. Additional pasta shapes that may be up for the job include:

• pappardelle
• fettuccine
• rigatoni
• penne

At the end of the day, choose what makes you happy or what you have on hand!

Meat Alternatives

This is a vegetarian dish, and, per usual, I am using my favorite ground meat substitute, Trader Joe’s Beefless Ground Beef. It can be found in the refrigerated deli section at TJ’s near the tofu and other vegan/vegetarian substitutes. If you don’t have a TJ’s near you…well, I’m sorry to hear that. Here are some other meat alternatives that will be great for this recipe!

• Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, Hungry Planet, or Lightlife ground meat alternative that require cooking. Simply brown this meat alternative before moving forward with the recipe as written. You can cook this sauce in the same pan.
• Crumbled firm or extra firm tofu. Press the tofu for five minutes to release excess moisture, then pat dry. Crumble by hand and follow the recipe as written, adding the tofu when the beefless ground is added. This alternative may be soft and soggy, but if it’s all you have one hand, go ahead and use it!
• Crumbled Seitan or meatless crumbles like Morning Star, Gardein. Simply follow the recipe as written, adding this alternative in place of the beefless ground beef.
• Walnuts & Mushrooms. I have had success pulsing a 1:1 ratio of walnuts and baby bella mushrooms in a food processor until a beef-like crumble forms. Add this substitute in place of the beefless ground beef as written, but allow the mushrooms to cook and soften for a few additional minutes before serving. In this case, I recommend using 3/4 cup each.

Vegetarian "Bolognese"

This Vegetarian "Bolognese" is a take on an Italian classic with a few modern twists. It's bursting with umami flavor, bites of carrots, celery, and onions, and bursting with juicy cherry tomatoes! What's not to love?

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Ingredients

• ½ lb pasta of choice

Sauce

• 2 large carrots
• 2 stalks celery
• 6 cloves garlic
• ½ large yellow onion
• 1 lb cherry or grape tomatoes
• 12 oz beefless ground
• ½ cup white wine
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• Handful fresh basil
• Pinch of sea salt

Instructions

1. Fill a large pot ¾ full with water and add a generous amount of salt. Bring to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, prepare sauce. Preheat a large saute pan with olive oil to medium heat. Halve cherry tomatoes, slice onion into thin wedges, slice carrots into thin disks, slice celery into thin half moons, finely chop garlic (chop rather than mince), roughly chop basil.
3. Add onions, carrots, and celery to the pan and stir. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, and carrots are beginning to soften, about 5-6 minutes. Once softened, add red pepper flakes and tomatoes. Continue cooking until the cherry tomatoes are softened and bursting, about 10 minutes. Add white wine, and allow to simmer until halved in volume, about 2 minutes. Add beefless ground, garlic, and basil, stir, and bring to a simmer. Cover and continue cooking until the pasta is finished.
4. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Just before draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and add it to the simmering pasta sauce. Strain and rinse the noodles.
5. Serve pasta, topped with sauce and parmesan cheese.