Vegan Bolognese Food

VEGAN BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
• Add the chopped onions and carrots and saute for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften.
• Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Don't add too much as you will be adding soy sauce later for color.
• Then add dry italian seasonings and crushed red pepper, if using. Mix well and add a bit more olive oil if pan looks dry.
• Add minced garlic and stir until fragrant.
• Next add the dry TVP, and stir to coat evenly with onion, carrot and spice mixture.
• Then add the soy sauce, which will give the TVP great flavor, and a bit darker color.
• Pan will be dry, so quickly add the cup of vegetable broth to rehydrate the tvp.
• Stir to coat all the tvp well, scraping the sides of the pan if needed.
• Let simmer for a minute or two.
• Next add your can of tomato paste, mix well and cook for a minute or two before adding the large can of crushed tomatoes.
• As sauce begins to bubble, be sure to stir in the tomato paste into the crushed tomatoes.
• Reduce heat to low, and simmer while you cook pasta.
• Cook whole wheat pasta in a large pot f boiling salted water for 7-9 minutes, or until al dente.
• Drain pasta and place in large serving bowl.
• Top with bolognese sauce, chopped fresh basil or parsley and serve.

VEGAN BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Pour 400ml boiling water over the dried porcini and leave for 10 mins until hydrated. Meanwhile pour 1 tbsp oil into a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrot, celery and a pinch of salt. Cook gently, stirring for 10 mins until soft. Remove the porcini from the liquid, keeping the mushroomy stock and roughly chop. Set both aside.
• Add the garlic and thyme to the pan. Cook for 1 min then stir in the tomato purée and cook for a min more. Pour in the red wine, if using, cook until nearly reduced, then add the lentils, reserved mushroom stock and tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer with a lid on.
• Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan. Add the remaining oil, then tip in the chestnut, portobello and rehydrated mushrooms. Fry until all the water has evaporated and the mushrooms are deep golden brown. Pour in the soy sauce. Give everything a good mix, then scrape the mushrooms into the lentil mixture.
• Stir in the Marmite and continue to cook the ragu, stirring occasionally, over a low-medium heat for 30-45 mins until the lentils are cooked and the sauce is thick and reduced, adding extra water if necessary. Remove the thyme sprigs and season to taste.
• Cook the spaghetti in a large pan of salted water for 1 min less than packet instructions. Drain the pasta, reserving a ladleful of pasta water, then toss the spaghetti in the sauce, using a little of the starchy liquid to loosen up the ragu slightly so that the pasta clings to the sauce. Serve topped with fresh basil and some black pepper.

RIGATONI WITH VEGETABLE BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with 1 1/2 cups very hot water. Set aside and let the mushrooms soften.
• Place the carrots, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse the vegetables until finely chopped but still chunky. Place the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped vegetables, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Strain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the porcini mushroom liquid. Add the porcini mushrooms, fresh mushrooms, and tomato paste and continue cooking, stirring to dissolve the tomato paste, until the mushrooms are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the porcini mushroom liquid and red wine. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and let the mixture simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add mascarpone cheese and stir just until the cheese is incorporated.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and add to the vegetable mixture. Add some of the reserved pasta cooking liquid, if necessary, to moisten the sauce. Toss with Parmesan and serve.

VEGAN BOLOGNESE WITH MUSHROOMS AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• Add the chopped nuts to a large Dutch oven or heavy pot and toast over medium, stirring frequently, until they visibly sweat and become fragrant, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.
• Prepare the mushrooms: Stem the shiitake mushrooms (reserve the stems another use), if using, then wipe the mushroom caps clean using damp paper towels. Chop the caps into 1/4-inch pieces. (Resist the urge to use a food processor here, which will chop the mushrooms unevenly.)
• Wipe out the pot, then heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Add half the mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the toasted walnuts, then repeat with the remaining mushrooms and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds. Stir the soy sauce into the mushroom mixture, then the balsamic (if using). Set aside.
• Wipe out the pot, then heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium. Add the onion, carrot and celery, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to caramelize and brown at the edges, about 7 minutes. Stir in the mushroom-walnut mixture, garlic, oregano and red-pepper flakes, and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and Marmite, and cook, stirring frequently, until darkened and caramelized, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Pour in the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the alcohol cooks off and the liquid reduces until thick and sticky, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the crushed tomatoes, along with 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer over high.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are cooked through and flavors meld, 30 to 40 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil, for richness, then season to taste with salt and pepper. (Makes about 6 cups.)
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta water.
• Toss the cooked pasta with the desired amount of sauce (about 3/4 cup to 1 cup per serving), adding pasta water as needed so sauce is glossy.
• Divide cooked pasta among shallow bowls and top with more sauce. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley or basil, if using, and serve immediately. (Leftover sauce will keep covered in the refrigerator for a few days, or frozen for up to 3 months.)

VEGETARIAN BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a saucepan and gently fry the onion, carrots and celery until the onion is starting to soften. Stir in the garlic and the Quorn (there's no need to defrost it) and fry for a couple of mins. Add the bay leaf, passata, vegetable stock cube and 200ml water, then bring everything to the boil.
• Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 mins or until all the pieces of veg are tender and disappearing into the tomato sauce. Add the milk, then cover with a lid and cook for 10 mins. Season to taste. If the sauce is a bit thin, keep bubbling until it thickens. Stir through the basil. Serve with the spaghetti and grate the cheese over the top, if you like. Can be frozen into portions and reheated.