Experiments in Taste #8: Pasta Veganese!

In Britain, ‘Spaghetti Bolognese’ is a very popular dish, though I believe in Bologna it is more common to serve ragù with tagliatelle. I’m used to making ragù with minced meat and pancetta, but since I cut out meat from my diet, I’ve been looking for a lower-carbon-footprint, vegan-friendly alternative. My friend Annette gave me this recipe, which I adapted a little to fit the ingredients I had in the fridge at the time. There is plenty of scope for adaptation, and I was pleased with the end result.

Recipe

• 400g plant-based mince.*
• 1 large onion, finely diced.
• 1 large carrot, finely sliced.
• 1 celery stalk, finely sliced.
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced or very finely chopped.
• 2 tbsp olive oil for frying.
• 1 tbsp tomato puree.
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes.
• 200ml vegetable stock.
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme.
• 2 bay leaves.
• salt and pepper to taste.
• lemon juice to taste.
• 500g cooked pasta to serve (serves 4-6).

Method

• To make your sofritto, heat the oil over a medium heat and fry the onion, carrot, celery and garlic along with the herbs. After 1-2 minutes, turn down the heat and simmer gently until the carrot and onion have softened.
• Add the mince and stir until ‘browned’ (i.e. sealed on the outside, as not all vegan mince ‘browns’ well.
• Add the tomato puree and stir for a further minute.
• Add the tinned tomatoes and vegetable stock, and bring the mixture to the boil.
• Simmer until the sauce has thickened and reduced, then season to taste with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.
• add enough sauce to the pasta to coat it well, and stir together.
• Spoon any remaining sauce over the top of the pasta, and serve with vegan cheese, or grated parmesan (for a non-vegan alterative, which I’ll admit to using!)

Many thanks to Annette for this delicious recipe!

*I used mince from pea protein, which I do not recommend because the taste was too sweet and the texture a little rubbery. Next time I will try a more mince-like alternative. If you have a favourite vegan mince, please let me know in the comments below.