The BEST Plant-Based Bolognese

This plant-based friendly, yet “meaty”, protein-rich Bolognese is made with a base of mushrooms, tofu, lentils, walnuts, tomato, and a few simple spices. This is one of the best plant-based Bolognese’s that we have tried and if you make it just once, we are sure you will agree.

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

To prepare your mise en place, first, drain the tofu and then break into smaller pieces.

Step 2

Next, prepare the onion and garlic. For the mushrooms, place them into a food processor and pulse a few times, until just a bit smaller than a pea. Remove and set aside.

Step 3

For the walnuts, pulse a few times or until they are quite fine. Remove and set aside.

Step 4

For the lentils, place into the food processor and pulse just a few times to break them up a bit. Note: if using canned lentils, drain the liquid and reserve for later — tasting it to make sure it tastes good of course.

Step 5

Lastly, gather the remaining ingredients.

Step 6

For the tomato sauce, we use our own homemade tomato sauce. However, if you are short on time, this Arrabbiata Sauce from Rao’s is fantastic. Note: if using the Arrabbiata sauce, you may want to omit the chili flakes from the recipe.

Step 7

To start the sauce, heat a large deep-sided pan over medium-high heat.

Step 8

Once hot, add the oil, followed by the onions as well as a good pinch of salt.

Step 9

Let the onions cook for approximately 7 to 10 minutes, or until they caramelize and become translucent.

Step 10

Next, add the tofu and continue to sauté for a few minutes. If needed, add a touch more oil to prevent the tofu from sticking and burning. Once the tofu has just started to brown add the fennel seeds and continue to cook.

Step 11

Once the tofu has browned nicely, add the mushrooms and another good pinch of salt and let cook for approximately 5 minutes, or until all of their moisture has evaporated.

Step 12

Lastly, add the garlic and let cook for 30 seconds or so and then add the walnuts, spices, soy sauce, and lentils and stir to combine.

Step 13

To finish the sauce, add the tomato paste to the pan and let cook for another 30 seconds or so and then add the tomato sauce. If the mixture seems a bit too thick, add 1/2 cup or so of water, tomato juice or the reserved lentil liquid. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn the heat down and let simmer, partially covered with a lid.

Step 14

Let the sauce cook for approximately an hour — or longer (up to 2 to 2 1/2 hours), the longer the sauce cooks the more intense and rich the final sauce will be. Stir regularly to ensure the sauce does not burn. If at any point the sauce looks too thick, add a touch more water. Ideally, the sauce should be thick but not so thick that it has no movement or fluidity to it. With that said, ultimately, the final consistency is up to you and how you plan to use it.

Step 15

Lastly, taste the sauce for seasoning, adding more salt, pepper as desired.

Step 16

Serve this sauce with your favorite pasta, spiraled vegetables or sautéed spaghetti squash.

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