Vegan Bolognese

Recipe Difficulty: Easy

Recipe Tags:

• Pasta with Meat Sauce
• Vegan Bolognese
  
• Beyond Meat, Lentils & Mushrooms
  
• Sundried Tomato
  

My Bolognese Recipe Notes
Vegan Bolognese. When I take a taste of this sauce bubbling away on the stove, the flavours immediately remind me of the meat sauce my mum made growing up. I like lots of sauce with my noodles for best flavour. Calling this dish "Bolognese" is admittedly a bit of a stretch, as are many recipes you find out there vegan or otherwise, but I think of this dish as being inspired by Bolognese, and it is not intended to replicate an authentic version. It's delicious, and using a searchable word when veganizing a recipe allows other people to more easily find said recipe. 

Beyond Meat, Lentils & Mushrooms
I use beyond meat burger in this recipe. It's not something I cook with very often, but I like that it adds texture and flavour to the sauce. My approach with this product in my Bolognese recipe, is to use it as an accent  in the sauce, not the main event. I also add lentils, mushrooms, tons of mirepoix (onion, celery, carrot), tomato & sundried tomato to amp up the whole foods factor of my sauce. One package of the beyond meat is all I use to make a large pot of Bolognese. If you wanted it to be meatier, I think you could leave out the mushrooms and lentils and use another package of  beyond meat. I haven't tried it, but it crossed my mind as something some people might like.  

Garnish
To garnish my pasta dish, I make simple garlicky panko crumbs, they are a delicious substitute to parmesan here. They are garlicky and add a little crunch. You could also buy your fav vegan  shredded cheese and use that sprinkled about. I also like to add a pinch of chili flakes and some fresh chopped parsley before serving. Basil might be nice too. 

Other Serving Suggestions
Roasted Cabbage
Try serving the sauce over roasted green cabbage. It's kind of like deconstructed cabbage rolls. It's something I have done for as long as I can remember. I love pasta but sometimes I'm in the mood for less carbs and more veg. It's really delicious! Try cutting the cabbage into wedges, drizzling with olive oil and roasting in the oven until browned and softened. Arrange the wedges on a plate and top with sauce and garnish. 

Corn Chips
How about serve this sauce along side cheesy nachos? I would definitely serve this sauce, sour cream, even guacamole all along side a bowl of corn chips, or corn chips with cheese melted on top. A fun way to use up leftovers of the sauce if you have had a couple meals with pasta. 

Garlic Panko Crumbs

Ingredients: 

•  1 cup panko crumbs
•  3 tbsp good fruity olive oil
•  1-2 cloves minced garlic​

Method:

1.  In a non stick pan add all ingredients. 
2.  Over medium heat stir it all around for 3 - 5 minutes until golden. 
3.  Store in a Tupperware container in the fridge. 

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