This meaty vegan Bolognese pasta sauce with hidden veggies is an easy, healthy, and satisfying meal that the whole family will love! This recipe will satisfy your cravings for a meaty pasta sauce while sneaking in some healthy veggies too. It can also be made gluten-free and is packed with protein!
This veggie bolognese sauce makes the perfect quick and easy weeknight meal since it can be whipped up in about 20 minutes from start to finish. You can add or subtract any vegetables that you want in this recipe and it will still come out delicious every time. You can also make it super easy and use store-bought vegan beef crumbles or you can use tofu, lentils, or TVP to replace the meat in traditional Bolognese.
You'll love this veggie Bolognese recipe because it's
- kid-friendly.
- packed with filling vegan protein.
- full of healthy veggies.
- gluten-free when served over gluten-free pasta
"Meat" replacements
Bolognese sauce is a red tomato pasta sauce traditionally made with meat. To make it vegan you can swap out the meat with a few things...
- Vegan crumbles - This is the quickest and easiest way and probably the most authentic tasting. You can find them in the frozen vegetarian meat section of your local grocery store.
- Tofu - You can simply take a block of extra firm tofu, press it to get out as much liquid as possible, and then crumble it into a bowl. Drizzle 2 tbsp of soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos over the tofu and then use as you would the vegan crumbles.
- Lentils - Bring a pot of water to a boil, add 1 1/2 cups of green lentils and boil for 18 minutes. Drain and rinse and put into a large bowl. Pour 2 tbsp of soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos over the lentils and toss until coated. Then use as you would the vegan crumbles. (This method makes it less processed and soy-free)!
- TVP - Bring 3/4 cup of water to a boil, add 3 tbsp. of soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos to the water and 1 1/2 cup of TVP. Stir and let the TVP soak up the liquid for about 5 minutes and then use it as you would the vegan crumbles.
What veggies should I add to the Bolognese sauce?
You can and any veggies that you like, but the ones that can chop up small work well. If you are feeding kids or a picky eater, use a food processor to chop them up very small and hide them completely.
My favorite veggies to add are:
- Onions
- Bell peppers
- Mushrooms
- Carrots
- Zucchini
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower (You can use the bags of riced cauliflower too).
How to make vegan Bolognese
- Start by cooking your pasta of choice according to package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, chop up veggies of choice into very small pieces. (A food processor works great for this. Just wash the veggies and toss them in. Pulse a few times until everything is finely chopped).
- Add a little oil to the bottom of a large skillet and saute diced onions for about 3-5 minutes until they become translucent.
- Add the chopped veggies and saute over medium-low heat for about 5 more minutes until they are soft.
- Put in the package of "beef crumbles or your choice of vegan “meat” and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Pour in a jar full of vegan pasta sauce and simmer on low until it's heated through.
- Simply serve hot over your choice of pasta and enjoy or use it in vegan lasagna, baked ziti, or even as a hearty sauce for vegan stuffed shells.
Pro Tips
- You can use about 3-4 cups of any finely chopped veggies that you like in the sauce. It doesn't have to be exact.
- Chop the veggies up very small to hide them in the sauce for your picky eaters. You can cook the veggies a little longer to make them softer and less detectable too.
Gluten-free instructions
The bolognese sauce will be gluten-free if you use a gluten-free meat substitute like Beyond Beef Crumbles. The options for using lentils, TVP, and tofu are also gluten-free as long as you use a gluten-free soy sauce.
Tip for using gluten-free pasta: Make sure to boil GF pasta in slightly more water than you would boil wheat pasta. Drain it in a colander and rinse well until the water runs clear.
You can top your vegan Bolognese with some homemade vegan Parmesan cheese too!
Storing and Freezing
You can definitely make this pasta sauce ahead of time. It's one of those sauces that just tastes better after the flavors have time to blend.
It will keep well for 4 days in the fridge or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.
- To store in the fridge- seal in an airtight container.
- For freezing - leave a little room for expansion and cover tightly. Or use a tightly sealed zippered freezer bag.
- Reheating - defrost and prepare it on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring every 15 to 20 seconds until hot.
More easy vegan pasta sauces
These are my family's other favorite ways to top pasta...
- Vegan Vodka Creme Sauce
- Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce
- Simple Vegan Tomato Basil Pasta
- Creamy Vegan Pesto Pasta
- Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
Subscribe to my email list to get my free ebook “The Beginner’s Guide to Homemade Vegan Staples” or if you are ready to fully dive into making your own vegan cheese, butter, yogurt, and more check out my cookbook, “The Ultimate Guide to Homemade Vegan Staples!”
A meaty vegan pasta sauce made with vegan "beef" crumbles or lentils, tofu, or TVP to make a vegan meat sauce. Use it over pasta or to make a meaty vegan lasagna or baked ziti.
- 16 oz pasta of choice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion
- 1 medium bell pepper
- 1 cup mushrooms chopped
- 1 medium carrot
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 10 oz. bag vegan crumbles (like beyond meat) or see "meat" options below
- 1 26 oz. jar pasta sauce
- 1 1/2 cup green lentils
- 1 14 oz package extra firm tofu
- 1 1/2 cup TVP
-
Start by cooking your pasta of choice according to package directions.
-
While the pasta is cooking, chop up veggies of choice into very small pieces. (A food processor works great for this. Just wash the veggies and toss them in. Pulse a few times until everything is finely chopped).
-
Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the bottom of a large skillet and saute diced onions for about 3-5 minutes until they become translucent.
-
Add the chopped veggies, sprinkle with salt, and saute over medium-low heat for about 5 more minutes until they are soft.
-
Put in the package of "beef crumbles or your choice of vegan “meat” and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
-
Pour in a jar full of vegan pasta sauce and simmer on low until it's heated through.
-
Serve over pasta or in your favorite Italian dishes.
- You can use about 3-4 cups of any finely chopped veggies that you like in the sauce. It doesn't have to be exact.
- Chop the veggies up very small to hide them in the sauce for your picky eaters. You can cook the veggies a little longer to make them softer and less detectable too.
If you choose tofu, lentils, or TVP instead of "beef" crumbles...
- Tofu - You can simply take a block of extra firm tofu, press it to get out as much liquid as possible, and then crumble it into a bowl. Drizzle 2 TBS of soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos over the tofu and then use as you would the vegan crumbles.
- Lentils - Bring a pot of water to a boil, add 1 1/2 cups of green lentils and boil for 18 minutes. Drain, rinse, and put into a large bowl. Pour 2 tbsp of soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos over the lentils and toss until coated. Then use as you would the vegan crumbles. (This method makes it less processed and soy-free)!
- TVP - Bring 3/4 cup of water to a boil, add 3 tbsp. of soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos to the water and 1 1/2 cup of TVP. Stir and let the TVP soak up the liquid for about 5 minutes, then use as you would the vegan crumbles.
*This recipe was originally posted on 8/26/2018. It was updated on 9/9/20 to include new images and more detailed instructions.
