By 
I have to say bolognese pasta is one of my absolute favorite things to eat. I’ve made this recipe dairy free before and I’ve been meaning to try cooking with these new plant-based meat substitutes so this was my first attempt and was very pleasantly surprised… YUM!
Let’s just say I fed this to my boyfriend who is a full-on meat and cheese eater and he went back for a second helping so that’s my seal of approval for this plant-based recipe 🙂
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup white onion diced
- 1/4 cup celery diced
- 1/4 cup carrot diced
- 4-6 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound plant-based ground "beef" e.g., Impossible or Beyond brands
- 28 oz can of pureed tomatoes I used San Marzano
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1/2 cup grated dairy-free parmesan cheese I used Violife
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta (use gluten-free pasta for a gluten-free meal) cooked al dente
Optional
- dairy-free parmesan for topping
- fresh basil for topping
Instructions
-
In a large heavy pot, preferably a dutch oven, heat the olive oil on medium-low heat. Add in onions, celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally until onions are translucent. Add garlic and stir until fragrant.
-
Add in the plant-based beef and using a wooden spoon, break up the "meat" into small pieces while browning all the way through.
-
Turn heat down to low and add the pureed tomatoes. Add in Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Stir until well combined then cover the pot and let simmer for 30 minutes on the lowest heat setting.
-
In the meantime, heat a pot of salted water until boiled.
-
Add in vegan butter and dairy-free parmesan cheese to your sauce and stir until well combined. Taste and add in more salt and/or pepper to your liking.
-
When water is boiling, cook pasta until al dente (follow your pasta's packaged instructions). Drain pasta (you don't need to drain it too much–a little pasta water is good for the sauce!) and add the pasta to your sauce pot. Using two wooden spoons, mix the sauce evenly with the pasta.
-
Serve and top with extra dairy-free parmesan and/or fresh basil for presentation (and extra flavor)!
What do you think?