Everyone says that as an adult, there are some recipes that you should just have memorized and perfected so you can whip it up at any time and impress whoever is over for dinner. Spaghetti Bolognese is always at the top of people’s lists because it’s so simple to make, doesn’t require a lot of time, and is always delicious.
Just because you’re eating vegan doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite comfort foods like bolognese. Instead of using ground beef, try crumbled-up tempeh! Tempeh is a protein source that’s made from fermented soybeans and bound into a cake-like form. You can slice off pieces of it and use it as imitation meat. It has a robust nutty taste on its own but absorbs flavors and sauces very well.
This tempeh recipe takes about an hour to prepare and makes enough for four servings. Each one is 413 calories, giving you 62 grams of carbohydrates, 19 grams of protein, and 10 grams of fat. Tempeh is incredibly nutritious and provides you with increased protein, fiber, potassium, and iron sources.
You can either crumble the tempeh into tiny bits or leave it as chunks throughout your bolognese. Either way, the flavors will be intense and impactful! You’re guaranteed to enjoy it! You can pin this recipe and share it with your friends and family to prove that vegan food doesn’t have to be bland and boring.
Take pictures of your completed dish and tag me @jennyleeisme when you post them so I can see them too! Let us know what you thought of this recipe and what else you would like to learn about!
TEMPEH BOLOGNESE
Ingredients
- 8 oz penne (255g) uncooked
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 7 oz tempeh (200g) crumbled
- 14 oz can chopped tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon apple vinegar
- 1 teaspoon mixed herbs
- fresh basil for serving
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to instructions on the packaging.
- Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pan. Add garlic and onion and sauté until fragrant, for about 3-4 minutes. Add in bell pepper and crumbled tempeh and sauté for another 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, vinegar and mixed herbs – season with salt and pepper. Bring to boil and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes or until heated through.
- To serve, divide pasta and Bolognese between plates and garnish with basil.
Cindy says
Classic recipe! Loved making this but use crumbled Gardein instead and it came out perfectly.