vegan bolognese

According to Wikipedia, Bolognese sauce has existed for a couple centuries, appearing in a cookbook for the first time in 1891. But for some ridiculous reason I waited twenty-four years of my life to make it. Why? Mostly because, believe it or not, I’m not actually a big fan of tomato based pasta dishes. So after I did a little research, I noticed that it’s mostly a meat-based sauce (and there is wine in it). Phew! Replacing tomatoes in a tomato sauce is much more complicated than replacing ground beef in a sauce. There are still tomatoes in this recipe, just a heads up for any haters, but they do really take a back seat in the dish.

I loved making this dish because it took a little extra love than many of the pasta dishes I make. For me, pasta dishes are often a quick and easy thing to whip up after a long day, and those recipes are amazing and super important to have! But sometimes you want to spend a little more time in the kitchen, or at least I do. This will not come as a surprise to anyone, but cooking is my favourite way to practice self-care. The recipe calls for diced onion, carrots, and celery and the act of finely dicing vegetables is so relaxing. Like I already mentioned, this recipe also has wine. So I recommend drinking a glass (if that’s a thing you do), because you’re already opening a bottle. Good logic, right?

Not only is this recipe delicious and great for meal prepping, it is also really calming to make. My anxiety has been extremely heightened lately so I plan on making this dish often in the next couple of weeks to help calm myself. I hope that you’ll enjoy making this recipe as much as I did! But more importantly, I hope you’ll enjoy eating it!

vegan bolognese

serves 4-6
active time: 20 minutes ~ total time: 75 minutes

 This is an easy vegan and gluten free take on a Bolognese sauce. Even though it is a very “meat” heavy dish, there’s a good amount of vegetables packed into this creamy sauce. Serve with your favourite gluten free or regular pasta for a super cozy and delicious meal!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp vegan butter
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 stalk of celery, diced
• 1 large clove of garlic, chopped
• 100 ml red wine
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped (and extra for garnish)
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cube of vegetable broth (preferably mushroom), do not add water
• 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 2 cups of Gardein’s Beefless Ground, or another vegan beef substitute
• 1/2 cup cashews, soaked*

Directions:
1. Over medium heat, sauté the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in the butter and oil. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the red wine, tomato paste, basil, oregano, bay leaves, broth, and diced tomatoes. Mix well, and let cook over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes.
3. Add in the Gardein “beef” and let cook through, about 10 minutes.
4. Take the soaked cashews and add to a blender with 2/3 cup of water. Blend well, until the cashew milk is completely smooth. *Alternatively, sub the homemade cashew milk for an unsweetened non-dairy beverage.
5. Add the cashew milk, mix well.
6. Serve over gluten free pasta and top with fresh basil.