Vegan Bolognese Sauce
Being from an Italian background, going vegan has meant finding alternatives to family favourite meals. Bolognese is just one of the meals I’ve had to learn how to substitute textures and flavour. I’m sure many vegans have experimented with bolognese recipes and this is my take.
Vegan Bolognese Sauce
Servings 4 hungry hungry vegans (or anyone else for that matter)
Calories 295kcal
Ingredients
- 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 large Brown Onion
- 2 cloves Garlic (fresh minced or 2 tsp from a jar)
- 400 g Crushed Tomatoes
- 500 g Tomato Puree or Quality Pasta Sauce I love the Basilico jars of sauce from Tenuta Fragassi but any good quality grocery store pasta sauce would work
- 1 tsp Dried Basil
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- Chilli Flakes to serve
- Vegan Parmesan to serve
- 400 g Brown Lentils (canned) drained
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat and brown the onions and garlic.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and stir cooking for 2 minutes
- Add the jar of pasta sauce or puree and dried herbs as well as the salt and pepper and stir.
- Bring to the boil and then reduce heat and cook for half an hour stirring occasionally making sure it's not sticking or burning.
- Save the lentils until you are just about ready to serve. This will ensure they keep some texture and body for the sauce. If you put them in too early they will just dissolve and you'll lose that grittiness.
- 3 minutes before your pasta is finished cooking, add the drained and rinsed lentils to the sauce and stir. Remove from the heat.
- Stir a couple of ladles full of sauce through your preferred cooked pasta to coat evenly then serve, spooning more sauce on top.
- Finish with some dried chilli flakes and a generous helping of vegan parmesan... and you're done!
- If your'e like me you will now proceed to eat dinner and then the serve you saved for tomorrow's lunch... I never learn to only make enough for 1! Enjoy!
