Vegetable Bolognese

There is nothing more comforting than a good Sunday sauce or bolognese sauce. I’m always up for bolognese or a hearty ragu. This quick and easy meatless bolognese is made with roasted vegetables. It’s got a rich flavour and meaty texture, with absolutely no meat whatsoever! The combination of minced vegetables and finely chopped walnuts mimics ground meat in this veggie bolognese, and it does a FABULOUS job! There are lots of tasty vegetable and vegan bolognese versions out there with lentils, chickpeas, or quinoa but this one is nothing but vegetables and walnuts giving this sauce a thick and consistent texture that everyone appreciates in a bolognese. It also happens to be vegan and tofu free.

Why you are going to love this vegetable bolognese recipe:

• It’s easy and takes less than an hour to make - no need to simmer the sauce all day long - this sauce starts developing flavour as soon as those veggies are roasted
• It’s quite a forgiving and versatile recipe. Feel free to use this as a template Veggie bolognese recipe adding extras in to suit your taste - suggested add ins below
• It’s filled with simple, straight forward ingredients! Walnuts, fresh veggies, dried herbs, and tomato sauce create the base for this delicious sauce - all ingredients that are as close to their original form as possible!
• It’s loaded with veggies making it a healthy, hearty dinner your family will love! If you’ve got picky eaters at home, this sauce is a must-try! The veggies are diced so finely that they blend right in with the sauce!
• It freezes really well so feel free to make a double batch
• It’s delicious with pasta, crusty bread over mashed cauliflower or mashed potatoes or over creamy polenta
  
  

Roasted Vegetable Bolognese Ingredients:

• Olive Oil -great for roasting the veggies and also in the sauce
• Yellow Onion - You could also use red or white onion in its place or even a shallots
• Celery - The celery combines with the onion and carrot to create what’s called a mirepoix. These three veggies make up the aromatics that really flavor this bolognese.
• Carrot - Again, the carrots are a big part of what makes the flavor base of this pasta sauce. Definitely do not omit it!
• Bell pepper - I love to use red bell pepper but any will work
• Garlic - Fresh garlic is ideal for this bolognese. It’s going to give you the most flavor.
• Walnuts - Toasted, chopped walnuts are going to create that classic “meaty” texture while adding a deep, nutty flavor as well. You could use pecans in place of the walnuts if that’s all you’ve got on hand. Or if you prefer a nut free version you could use sunflower seeds or even ½ cup of cooked quinoa for the texture
• Mushrooms - they add to the meatiness of the sauce - i love roasting the portobello ones because they are larger and stand up to the heat better but feel free to use any mushrooms you like. You will notice some are minced in the food processor while other are chopped and sautéed - that is so that there are varying textures.
• Red Wine - I recommend using a dry red wine that you enjoy drinking for this recipe. I like to use a merlot or cabernet sauvignon. You could use white in its place.
• Tomato sauce - homemade pasta sauce or marinara is great here but storebought is fine too or you could use a can of crushed tomatoes.
• Dried Oregano & Chili flakes - dried Thyme, Rosemary Or Italian seasoning work great here too. Feel free to add less or more according to taste.
• Salt and Pepper - The ingredients for this bolognese are pretty simple, so I recommend adding salt and pepper liberally throughout the cooking process to taste.
• Extra add ins- feel free to roast the veggies with your favourite spices or even a splash of balsamic vinegar or even soy sauce which will add some nice depth of flavour to this veggie sauce. Adding chopped sun-dried tomatoes also adds some nice flavour and extra texture to the sauce too. You can also add in some cream, milk or Parmesan cheese and parmesan rind for extra richness if keeping it diary free and vegan is not a concern for you.
  
  

How to make roasted vegetable Bolognese:

1. Start by roasting your vegetables Roasted Vegetables have so much more flavour. You can just mince them and sauté them in the pan but they will be missing that extra flavour that roasting them gives them. The recipe calls for roasting them with a pinch of salt and pepper and olive oil but feel free to add some seasoning to them too and even a splash of balsamic vinegar for extra flavour. Some of the veggies get tougher when they are roasted which adds even more texture to the sauce.
2. Process your walnuts into fine mince or chop by hand and set aside
3. Process veggies into fine mince - this is best done in a food processor or chopper. I usually allow the veggies to cool a few minutes before processing so that the heat and steam doesn’t turn your veggies into purée in the food processor. No need to over process. If you don’t have a processor wait until the veggies are cool enough for you to handle and your can mince them your self.
4. Chop and sauté remaining mushrooms - you might be wondering why the extra mushrooms. This is to add more texture. The variation of minced and chopped and varieties in mushrooms will add a great variation of texture just like any other mince meat would to a bolognese sauce. Usually there are smaller pieces of mince and larger ones - this sort of mimics that.
5. Sauté the mince with spices - Add the veggie mince along with the walnuts and spices to the pan and sauté a few minutes stirring often. Make sure to check for seasoning and season with salt and pepper as needed.
6. Add the tomato paste and sauce - add the tomato paste to pan and cook for a minute stirring then deglaze the pan with the wine if using then add the sauce and simmer stirring occasionally while you cook your pasta. Serve with pasta or add cooked pasta right into the sauce adding reserved pasta water as needed to coat the pasta well with sauce. I like mine with spaghetti or rigatoni pasta
   
   
   

Make ahead and storage

• The vegetable ragù sauce can be prepared, cooled completely, and stored in an air‑tight container in refrigerator up to 3 days.
• To reheat the vegetarian bolognese, just add it to a saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently just until warmed through
• This vegetarian bolognese also freezes well! Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container. Place in the freezer where it will stay good for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to eat, either heat from frozen in a saucepan over medium heat. Or allow the sauce to thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat the same way.
  
  

If you liked this recipe you will love these:

• Vegetarian Chipotle Chili
• Quick and Delicious Pasta and Chickpeas (Pasta e Ceci)
• Eggplant And Mushroom Rotini (Pasta Alla Norma)
• Curried Chickpeas With Spinach and Tomatoes
• Garlic Roasted Vegetable Pesto Pasta
• A Simple Way to Make Vegetable Soup
• Briam (Greek Roasted Mixed Vegetables)