Vegan Bolognese

Let’s make the iconic Italian sauce, with all the rich and hearty flavor, only this Vegan Bolognese is made with plants!

I love Pasta, but unfortunately, I don’t have nearly enough pasta recipes on this site. I thought I might try to remedy that with one of the best and most delicious pasta sauces out there, a Vegan Bolognese!

This one is fairly simple to make, in fact we are simply swapping the meat for some plant-based meat, everything else is already vegan in the traditional dish!

ingredients for Vegan Bolognese

• Meat – For the meat we will just be using some store-bought Plant Based Meat like Impossible or Beyond. You can also make my Tofu Bolognese recipe instead! You can also use something like my TVP Ground Beef, or Lentils & Mushrooms or Tempeh as well.

• Vegan Butter & Olive Oil – I like using a combo of both, but you can just use one or the other if you prefer.
• Onion, Carrot, Celery – The Classic Sofrito!
• Garlic – From my understanding, garlic is not traditionally used, but I love it in this dish and I have free will, so I added it!
• Tomato Paste – We’re gonna use a whole tube of it too!
• Red or White Wine – I prefer Red Wine, but use White if you like! You can also just use some Veggie Broth if you don’t do alcohol.
• Crushed Tomatoes or Passata – You can use either Crushed Tomatoes or a Passata Tomato Sauce, both will work!
• Vegan Worcestershire – Not traditional, but elevates the sauce a little to me!
• Dried Thyme / Bay Leaves – Can use a bouquet of a few fresh thyme sprigs if you like too!
• Unsweetened Plant Milk – Add this at towards the end of the cooking process.
• Nutritional Yeast – For some added Umami!
• Pasta – Tagliatelle, Parpadelle, Spaghetti will work great!

how to make Vegan Bolognese

Melt the vegan butter and Olive Oil over medium heat, add in the onion, carrot and celery. Stir to coat and cook until the veggies have softened, about 10 – 12 minutes.

Add a pinch of salt, and then the minced garlic. Stir and cook for 1 minute, then add in the plant based meat. Break it up into a fine ground and cook until browned.

Next add in the tomato paste. Stir to distribute it evenly. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often.

Add in the Red or White Wine (or Veggie Broth) and stir to incorporate. Then add the Crushed Tomatoes or Passata, Vegan Worcestershire, Dried Thyme and Bay Leaves. Stir to incorporate.

Bring to a simmer, lower the heat to medium low and cover with a lid, leaving just a crack of space for steam to escape.

Simmer for 1 – 2 hours, depending on your patience (I usually do 1 and it’s super good!) Stirring every now and then. If it’s reducing too much, lower the heat, and add 1/4 – 1/2 a cup of water and stir to loosen.

Fish out the Bay Leaves, and add in the Plant Milk and Nutritional Yeast. Stir to incorporate, and simmer as you cook the pasta according to package instructions.

Taste and adjust seasoning for the sauce, adding anything you like! I sometimes add some Red Pepper flakes for a little kick.

You can add a little pasta water to the sauce if you like, either way, toss with the pasta. Garnish with fresh parsley, vegan parmesan and enjoy!

storage

You can store any leftover pasta in the fridge for about 3 days.

You can also make the sauce and store it in the fridge for 3 – 5 days and just cook 1 – 2 servings of pasta at a time and use it throughout the week if you’re only 1 – 2 people. This way the pasta will be fresher, either way it’s good for meal prepping!

other recipes you’ll dig!

• Alfredo
• Spinach Pasta
• Vodka Pasta
• SpaghettiOs
• Turkish Pasta

If you made and enjoyed this recipe, please leave a rating & review! It really helps out the blog and it makes my day, thank you!

Vegan Bolognese

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Comfort Food Classics, Pasta & Pizza

Cuisine Italian

Servings 8

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 2 Tbsp Vegan Butter
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 cup Diced Onion
• 2/3 cup Diced Carrot
• 2/3 cup Diced Celery
• 3 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
• 1.5 lbs Plant Based Meat (like Impossible or Beyond Meat, see Notes for more options)
• 6.5 oz Tube Tomato Paste
• 1 cup Red or White Wine (or Veggie Broth)
• 28 oz. Crushed Tomatoes (or Passata)
• 1 Tbsp Vegan Worcestershire
• 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 cup Unsweetened Plant Milk
• 1-2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
• Salt & Pepper (to taste)
• 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 pound Pasta (Tagliatelle, Pappardelle, Spaghetti)

Instructions

 

• In a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, melt the vegan butter over medium heat. Add in the Olive Oil as well.
• Once the butter is melted, add in the onion, carrot and celery. Stir to coat and cook until the veggies have softened, about 10 – 12 minutes.
• Add a pinch of salt, and then the minced garlic. Stir and cook for 1 minute, then add in the plant based meat. Break it up into a fine ground and cook until browned.
• Next add in the tomato paste. Stir to distribute it evenly. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often.
• Add in the Red or White Wine (or Veggie Broth) and stir to incorporate. Then add the Crushed Tomatoes or Passata, Vegan Worcestershire, Dried Thyme and Bay Leaves. Stir to incorporate.
• Bring to a simmer, lower the heat to medium low and cover with a lid, leaving just a crack of space for steam to escape.
• Simmer for 1 – 2 hours, depending on your patience (I usually do 1 and it’s super good!) Stirring every now and then. If it’s reducing too much, lower the heat, and add 1/4 – 1/2 a cup of water and stir to loosen.
• Fish out the Bay Leaves, and add in the Plant Milk and Nutritional Yeast. Stir to incorporate, and simmer.
• While the sauce simmers, cook your pasta according to package instructions.
• Taste and adjust seasoning for the sauce, adding anything you like! I sometimes add some Red Pepper flakes for a little kick.
• You can add a little pasta water to the sauce if you like, either way, toss with the pasta. Garnish with fresh parsley, vegan parmesan and enjoy!

STORAGE

• You can store any leftover pasta in the fridge for about 3 days.
• You can also make the sauce and store it in the fridge for 3 – 5 days and just cook 1 – 2 servings of pasta at a time and use it throughout the week if you’re only 1 – 2 people. This way the pasta will be fresher, either way it’s good for meal prepping!

Notes

Meat – For the meat we will just be using some store-bought Plant Based Meat like Impossible or Beyond. You can also make my Tofu Bolognese recipe instead! You can also use something like my TVP Ground Beef, or Lentils & Mushrooms or Tempeh as well.

Keyword Bolognese, Pasta

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