Seriously, what’s more comforting than a big bowl of a pasta with bolognese?! We love it at our house and can definitely have some „bolo“ at least once a month! Traditionally made with different types of meat – veal and pork – mirepoix {onions, carrots and celery}, pancetta, red wine, herbs, tomatoes and loads of olive oil… I make it without meat but with tons of veggies. There are pretty darn good veggie bolo recipes out there, with mushrooms, lentils or even walnuts, but I’d say that my bolo is one of the easiest. Why? The food processor does most of the work! Just a rough chop of the veggies, then toss’em into the food processor and pulse *bzzz bzzz* until you have a „ground meat“ consistency. Sautée with some evoo, herbs, spices, tomato passata and loads of LOVE aaaand there you have an easy peasy vegan veggie bolognese that will even please a meat lover!
To add a fresh and summery note to this dish, I love adding some herby, garlicy and lemony gremolata on top. Simply chop up flat leaf parsley, mince one garlic clove, zest one or two organic lemons, mix everything together and tadaaaa instant freshness! I just love this stuff. If you’re making this dish for your family or a bunch of friends, serve it in a big bowl or platter and if you have picky eaters, serve the gremolata on the side. I know a lot of kiddos don’t like citrus zest. You can add the gremolata to so many things. If you’re a meat eater, sprinkle it on top of grilled chicken or fish, vegetarians put some on top of some creamy goat cheese or feta, maybe baked in the oven. And my vegan friends, add it to all sorts of pasta, hummus or on top of avocado toast. It’s a simple but super tasty addition to almost anything savory!
Now all you need to do is cook your favorite pasta until al dente- I made penne but spaghetti is perfect too – add a huge portion of the bolo, some vegan parmesan „cheese“ and the gremolata.
Simply amazing, I promise!
WHAT YOU NEED
For the Bolognese:
1 medium-sized red onion
2 medium-sized carrots
2 medium-sized zucchinis
1 small eggplant
1 small package of brown button mushrooms
1 large red bellpepper
A handful of cherry tomatoes {depending on the size halved or quatered}
2 garlic cloves
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 tsp marjoram {fresh or dry}
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 bottle of passata {500-700 ml}
200 ml vegetable broth
2 tsp paprika
1|2 tsp cinnamon
1 bay leaf
Olive oil for sautéeing and to drizzle on the pasta at the end
A handful of fresh basil
Salt & black pepper to taste
For the Gremolata:
1 small bunch of parsley
Zest of two lemons {organic}
1 clove of garlic
For the Vegan Parmesan Cheese:
1|2 cup raw cashews
3 tbsp nutrional yeast
1 tsp salt
1|2 tsp garlic powder
Mix all in a blender until you have a parmesan-like consistency. Store in air tight container in the fridge for about a week.
HOW TO
1| Add all the veggies, except for the cherry tomatoes, in batches to a food processor and pulse until you have a roughly minced texture. You need to do this in batches and start start with the onions and garlic as you want them to be finer than the rest of the vegetables.
2| In a large pan heat up the olive oil, add the minced onions and garlic and sautée while you mince the rest of the vegetables. Once finished, add them to the pan also. Sautée until the veggies are semi-cooked, add the marjoram, paprika, cinnamon and tomato paste sautée for a minute and the broth and passata. Add the thyme and bay leaf, the cherry tomatoes, salt and black pepper to taste and let cook for about 15 minutes. Disgard the thyme and bay leaf.
3| Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley, finely mince the garlic, zest the lemon and mix them all together in a small bowl. Set aside.
4| Cook your favorite {gf} pasta {I made Penne} in salted, boiling water until al dente, drain and add to a large serving platter or bowl. Add a generous amount of the bolognese and gremolata, a drizzle of good olive oil and a handful of fresh basil.
5|Serve family style with {gf} bread and vegan parmesan „cheese“.
