Is bolognese the same as meat sauce?

Meat sauce is a popular American spaghetti sauce made by simmering ground beef with tomato sauce. Yes, bolognese (also known as Ragù alla bolognese in Italy) is made with tomatoes, but it has a deeper flavor profile, more body, and a heartier texture than meat sauce. The key difference is that the meat is added to the bolognese sauce at the end of the cooking process rather than cooking the sauce and meat together.

What kind of pasta should you serve with vegan bolognese?

Bolognese is often served with long pasta noodles, like spaghetti or linguini, but a wide pasta noodle is always the best choice. Fettucini, pappardelle, or tagliatelle noodles will scoop up the sauce instead of leaving a pool of it at the bottom of your bowl. For a healthy option, serve the sauce with gluten free noodles or zucchini noodles instead.

How do you store bolognese sauce?

Once the sauce is finished cooking and fully cooled, transfer it from the pot to an airtight container. It stores well in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Can you freeze bolognese sauce?

Absolutely! Once it’s cool, place the sauce in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

The Best Vegan Bolognese Sauce

Name: The Best Vegan Bolognese Sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 -2 tablespoons oil or vegan butter; 1 large yellow onion diced; 4-6 cloves of garlic, chopped; 1 large rib of celery, diced; 1 med-large carrot, grated; 1 and 1/2 lbs (680g) cremini mushrooms, chopped smallish; 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped - don't skimp; 1 teaspoon granulated garlic; 1 teaspoon fennel powder; 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/4 teaspoon celery salt; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian No Beef soup Base; 1 tablespoon Braggs liquid aminos, lite Tamari or soy sauce; 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke; 1/4 cup nutritional yeast; 1/3 cup dry white wine; 2 cans San Marzano whole tomatoes (28 oz each); 1/2 cup water plus more if needed; 1 cup soy curls, measured then rehydrated and chopped; 1/2 to 1 pack vegan ground beef, or crumbles, cooked (like beyond meat, impossible burger, Gardein, etc,..); reg or spicy vegan Italian sausages; 1 cup or so cooked red lentils; 3/4 cup TVP; cooked pasta or polenta; vegan parmesan

Description

This Easy Vegan Bolognese Sauce is hearty, meaty, and a delicious take on a classic Italian recipe. It comes together in one pot using pantry-staple ingredients and is layered with rich flavors!

Ingredients

Scale

For sauce:

1 -2 tablespoons oil or vegan butter
1 large yellow onion diced
4-6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large rib of celery, diced
1 med-large carrot, grated
1 and 1/2 lbs (680g) cremini mushrooms, chopped smallish
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped - don't skimp
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon fennel powder
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian No Beef soup Base
1 tablespoon Braggs liquid aminos, lite Tamari or soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 cans San Marzano whole tomatoes (28 oz each)
1/2 cup water plus more if needed

Optional 'meat' add in (pick one)

1 cup soy curls, measured then rehydrated and chopped
1/2 to 1 pack vegan ground beef, or crumbles, cooked (like beyond meat, impossible burger, Gardein, etc,..)
reg or spicy vegan Italian sausages
1 cup or so cooked red lentils
3/4 cup TVP

For serving:

cooked pasta or polenta
vegan parmesan

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Instructions

First gather and prep all ingredients. Add herbs and spices to a bowl and set aside. Add whole tomatoes to a large glass mixing bowl and with your hand gently squish the tomatoes to break then down into smaller pieces. Set aside.
Add the onions, garlic, celery, carrots, mushrooms, oil and a pinch of salt & pepper to a large pot/ Dutch oven and sauté on medium heat ( if avoiding oil sauté in water or broth). Cook for 10 minutes or so until veggies start to soften and the mushrooms release their juices.
Now add the herbs, spices, Braggs, Nutritional yeast, bouillon, liquid smoke and wine. Simmer for a couple of minutes. Stir in the tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
After 30 minutes remove lid and take 3 big ladle fulls of sauce, puree then return to pot (optional). Stir in cooked ground 'beef'/ protein of choice, if using. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat add some water and seasonings if needed. If you like your sauce sweeter add a pinch or two of sugar to taste. Serve over pasta or polenta, sprinkle with vegan parmesan and enjoy!

Notes

add a pinch of cayenne for little heat
Meal prep: This recipe makes a lot of sauce so feel free to portion and freeze some for a rainy day.
To store and freeze: sauce will keep covered in fridge for up to 5 days and freezes well.

This post was originally published Nov, 2018 and has been updated with new photos and more. The recipe itself is unchanged

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Category: Mains, Gluten free,
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: vegan bolognese, vegan bolognese sauce, meat free sauce, vegan pasta sauce,