Beyond Meat Bolognese Recipe
This Beyond Meat Bolognese has a velvety texture and literally melts in your mouth. It's smoky, meaty, and savory, and packs layers of complex flavor!
Ingredients
For the bolognese
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium white onion, finely diced
- 1 small carrot, finely diced
- 1 celery stalk, finely diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 lb Beyond meat mince
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 cups tomato passata
- 1 large bay leaf
- ½ cup soy milk unsweetened, or another non-dairy milk
- 2-3 fresh basil leaves, chopped
For serving (optional)
- 9 ounces (250g) dry pappardelle pasta or vegan gnocchi
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onion and season with a pinch of salt. Saute for 2-3 minutes, until transparent.2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium white onion, finely diced
- Then, add the carrot, celery, and dried thyme and saute for 5 more minutes.1 small carrot, finely diced, 1 celery stalk, finely diced, ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Add Beyond mince and turn the stove down to medium heat. Using a wooden spoon, break the meat into small pieces. This allows it to brown evenly. Saute for 7-8 minutes, or until it starts to brown evenly. Add minced garlic and saute for 1 minute or until fragrant.1 lb Beyond meat mince, 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- Then, add tomato paste and stir. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until darkened in color and caramelized. Pour red wine and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pot, cook for 2-3 minutes further, or until the alcohol evaporates.2 tablespoon tomato paste, ½ cup dry red wine
- Pour the vegetable broth, and tomato passata, and add the bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Stir and cover with a lid. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes, or until thickened.1 cup vegetable broth, 2 cups tomato passata, 1 large bay leaf, Salt and black pepper to taste
- Make sure to stir the vegan bolognese sauce every 10 minutes to prevent it from burning on the bottom. When ready, take it off the heat and stir in the basil leaves and milk.½ cup soy milk, 2-3 fresh basil leaves, chopped
- Serve it with pasta and gnocchi, or use it in lasagna or other Italian dishes.
Notes
- Use high-quality tomato passata. Tomato passata adds a bright and fresh flavor to the sauce. It should be made from 100% tomatoes with no additives and no seasonings (except for salt).
- Prepare this Beyond meat bolognese in a deep pot. The sauce thickens quite a lot so there is a lot of splashing. Also, since you're cooking it for longer, you need a pot with a heavy bottom so that the sauce doesn't stick to the bottom and burn.
- Use tomato paste in a tube, not a can. When testing this recip, I've found that the kind of tomato paste that is sold in a can leaves a metallic taste. I recommend getting one in a tube and also looking for double-contracted if that's available to you.
- Simmer on low heat for at least 1 hour. This is a key step in allowing the flavors to develop, and to completely soften the vegetables and the Beyond meat. The end result is a vegan bolognese sauce that melts in your mouth!
- Stir every 10 minutes. As mentioned above, the sauce thickens as it simmers, so stir frequently to prevent it from burning at the bottom!
- Serve with a wider pasta like pappardelle or tagliatelle. Contrary to popular belief, traditional bolognese sauce is not served with spaghetti, because they're too thin to hold the chunky sauce. It's usually served with a wider pasta like pappardelle or a rimmed short pasta such as penne or rigatoni.
- Fridge: Let it cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container, and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Let it cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and freeze for 3-4 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 270kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 16gFat: 17.4gSaturated Fat: 4.8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 8.7gSodium: 356.6mgPotassium: 388.1mgFiber: 3.2gSugar: 5.7gVitamin A: 86.8IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 75.4mgIron: 3.5mg
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