You know those comfort foods you just can’t live without? I’m talking about that big bowl of pasta topped with a flavoursome homemade sauce. Well, my whole-foods-plant-based-friends, have I got the most delicious Vegan Bolognese sauce for you! I’ve had my fair share of fairly plain, watery, boring tomato pasta sauces to be honest. And as I was craving a huge bowl of pasta for dinner last night, I felt the need to reconstitute an old favourite of mine. Oh man, have I succeeded! It has the delicious flavour of a classic bolognese sauce whilst full of nourishing veggies and of course, free of meat.
So what makes this sauce so special and different from your ordinary old thin, napolitana sauce? It’s super sweet and delightfully thick thanks to plenty of garlic caramelised onion and freshly grated carrot. The fresh, slightly crispy zucchini adds a new dimension to this sauce and adds to its nutritional benefits.
I am actually so happy with this pasta sauce recipe, it is definitely going to become a new staple for me! Another bonus: it took me only around 20 minutes to whip up. Perfect for those busy week nights when you just need a comforting meal to sooth the soul and fuel you through to the next day whilst getting in those sneaky extra serves of veggies.
I served mine with a huge serving of deliciously chewy spelt pasta, a good few dollops of this amazing sauce and some shavings of vegan cheese (YES! I am so glad I have recently discovered this, thanks to a new 100% vegan store opening round the corner!). I cannot recommend this sauce recipe enough! It’s time for a big bowl of carbs guys, and this sauce is it’s perfect match!
INGREDIENTS
Serves 3-4
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 large brown onion, roughly diced
1 large clove of garlic
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp fresh oregano leaves
2 small zucchinis, chopped into small half-discs
150g cherry tomatoes chopped into quarters
2 small carrots, grated
1 1/2 cups organic tomato puree (try go for the stuff that is just pure tomatoes and a little salt)
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup artichoke hearts, roughly chopped (optional)
METHOD
- Heat oil over medium heat in a heavy-based pot.
- Add onion and crush garlic into pan. Cook, stirring until onion is soft and translucent.
- Add oregano and thyme and cook for another minute.
- Add zucchini, tomatoes and grated carrot and cook, occasionally stirring for another 3 minutes or so.
- Add the tomato puree and water. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to low.
- Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally making sure it doesn’t stick to bottom of pot (add a little more water if it gets too thick).
- Stir through some artichoke hearts or olives for some extra flavour and serve with cooked pasta, grated vegan cheese or sprinkling of nutritional yeast and some more veggies on the side if you desire some extra wholesome veggies!
Enjoy!
Tess xx
For more of Tess and her fabulous recipes, clIck HERE.
