Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese (easy recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What can I put in bolognese instead of meat? ›

Meat Substitute - I've been using soya protein for this recipe. But you can make it with other meat substitutions such as tofu, mushroom or lentils. Check out my lentil bolognese recipe here. Herbs - If you don't have the same herbs I've been using, add some mixed or Italian seasonings to the sauce.

Just like my Vegan Caramelized Onion Pasta and Italian White Bean and Pasta Stew, this healthy vegan bolognese requires a short list of ingredients but yields big, gourmet flavors. A mix of red lentils and walnuts add a rich body while tomato paste and canned tomatoes load it with umami, just like the Italian classic.

Although there are some similarities between bolognese and spaghetti sauce, a classic Italian bolognese sauce is made with a meat base and includes tomatoes, dairy, red wine and spices. It's hearty and simmers longer for best flavor development. Spaghetti sauce is on the lighter side and comes together quickly.

Spag bol with red wine

You can add various herbs, too. Try a teaspoon of dried Italian mixed herbs (added at the start) or a tablespoon of fresh, chopped oregano (added towards the end) in the meat sauce.

No, it is just that spaghetti al ragù (with Bolognese sauce) isn't part of the Italian tradition, for at least two good reasons. First, the sauce is from Bologna, where pasta is traditionally fresh egg pasta, not dry pasta like spaghetti.

“Try a combination of 1 part ketchup to ½ part soy sauce and ½ part malt vinegar to start," Malivert says, "and play with the proportions to balance the flavor.” Use this as a 1-to-1 substitute for Worcestershire sauce.

Traditional service and use. In Bologna ragù is traditionally paired and served with tagliatelle made with eggs and northern Italy's soft wheat flour. Acceptable alternatives to fresh tagliatelle include other broad flat pasta shapes, such as pappardelle or fettuccine, and tube shapes, such as rigatoni and penne.

According to our Food Director Amira, not only does milk add a rich flavour to the bolognese, but it also “helps cut through the acidity of the tomatoes and red wine”. She adds: “It also makes the mince meat nice and tender, creating that melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness.”

As far as its taste, it will have a meaty heartiness from the browned meats, a sweet tang from the rich tomatoes, as well as an herbal kick from the various Italian spices used. If you've ever enjoyed a pasta dish with meat and tomato-based sauce, it was likely a variation of a bolognese recipe.

Adding thyme, oregano or marjoram is better but hold back one-third of your fresh herbs to stir into the sauce just before serving, as it will elevate the flavour of the sauce. I wouldn't use dried herbs like this as they are too pungent.

Is paprika good in bolognese? ›

It has all the trappings of a normal bolognese - beef mince, diced onion, tomato purée - but with some added flavour from garlic salt, paprika, ketchup, chutney and Worcestershire sauce. Some may call it cheating, we call it a boost of flavour.

Like most recipes the longer you leave it to slowly cook the better the flavour will be but this can also be knocked up with in an hour.

Like beef broth, chicken broth is a kitchen staple and makes a good substitute if you are all out of the meaty broth. This savory, salty liquid has a milder flavor than beef broth but is a good one-to-one replacement. Chicken broth also has a similar nutrition profile to beef broth, low in calories and high in sodium.

No, Bolognese is a meat sauce by definition. There are lots of similar sauces that don't include meat, though, like Marinara. If you Google “vegetarian Bolognese” there are some recipes for **similar** sauces without meat, but technically it's not Bolognese if it doesn't have meat in it.

(Sprinkling a handful of finely chopped Italian parsley before serving makes it taste fresher and less meaty as well as injecting some welcome colour to the dish.) The original bolognese recipes left out tomatoes altogether because they hadn't been discovered back then (by the Europeans).

Lentils are a great secret ingredient to add to Bolognese. They are unnoticeable in the sauce, as they cook down to almost nothing. If you find the lentils absorb some of the flavour of the sauce, add a dash of your favourite condiment to make up for it.