Enjoy a hearty Vegan Bolognese featuring toasted walnuts, finely chopped vegetables, mushrooms, and tofu simmered in a savory tomato sauce, perfect for topping your favorite pasta. This nutritious, flavorful dish, accented with fennel, oregano, and red pepper flakes, is easy to prepare and ideal for leftovers.

Time to read: 7 mins | Time to make: 70 minutes | Yields: 6 servings

Method

1. Toast the Walnuts: Add the chopped walnuts to a large pan and toast, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, transfer to a medium bowl, and set aside.

2. Cook the Vegetables: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. 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.

3. Add Aromatics and Tomato Paste: Add the garlic, fennel seeds, oregano, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste. Cook, mixing constantly, for 1-2 minutes until the tomato paste dissolves and the garlic becomes fragrant.

4. Combine Mushrooms and Tofu: Stir in the mushrooms, tofu, and soy sauce, cooking and stirring frequently for another 5 minutes.

5. Simmer the Sauce: Add the toasted walnuts and crushed tomatoes along with 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are cooked through and the flavors meld, about 30 minutes.

6. Cook the Pasta: Towards the end of cooking the sauce, cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1½ cups pasta water.

7. Combine Pasta and Sauce: Toss the cooked pasta with the desired amount of sauce (about 1 cup per serving), adding pasta water as needed to make the sauce glossy.

8. Serve: Divide the cooked pasta among shallow bowls, top with more sauce, and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Leftover sauce will keep covered in the refrigerator for a few days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition facts per one serving of sauce:

Energy: 233 kcal | Carbs: 19.6 g | Protein: 9.7 g | Fat: 15.5 g