This is the BEST Vegan Bolognese sauce! A classic Italian favorite made using cauliflower, mushrooms, and walnuts. It’s meaty, rich, hearty, savory, and absolutely delicious! It’s also completely oil free and plant based.
Have you ever tried bolognese sauce? No, it’s not made with bologna. Although, that’s what I used to think.
What is bolognese sauce? It’s more or less a fancy name for meat sauce that is usually served over pasta. And, it used to be one of my favorite dishes. So, it got me thinking about how I could make a vegan version that was satisfying. Yet, keeping it healthy and delicious.
The most logical idea was to rework my Cauliflower Mushroom Walnut Taco Meat and see what might happen. And, the results are nothing short of amazing. This Vegan Bolognese sauce is fantastic and sure to quickly become your new family favorite.
Ready? Let’s get it on!
What You Will Need For Vegan Bolognese Sauce
(full amounts in recipe card down below)
- Cauliflower
- Walnuts
- Mushrooms
- Nutritional Yeast
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Low-sodium Soy Sauce
- Red wine
- Onions
- Garlic
- Fire-roasted crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes
- Maple Syrup
- Italian Seasoning
I know it might look daunting but it’s actually very simple. And, trust me, it’s totally worth it. This is sure to become one of your favorite recipes.
How To Make Vegan Bolognese Sauce
- Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees F.
- Then, place the cauliflower, mushrooms, walnuts, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, balsamic vinegar, and low-sodium soy sauce into a food processor. Pulse the ingredients several times until it starts to resemble ground beef. Just be sure not to over mix because you don’t want it to come out mushy. You want a “meaty” texture.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and then spread the cauliflower mixture evenly onto the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes then remove from the oven and gently toss the meat crumbles with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Place the cauliflower mixture back in the oven and bake for 15 more minutes.
- Set a large nonstick pot over medium heat then toss in the onions and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes. You can add a couple of tablespoons of water if necessary to prevent sticking, but you should be fine.
- Pour in the red wine, stir, and allow it to cook down for about 5 minutes. Now, add in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, maple syrup, and Italian seasoning. Stir everything together and let the sauce cook for 5-6 minutes. Reduce the heat and let the marinara sauce simmer for about 15 or 20 minutes.
- While the sauce is simmering go ahead cook the pasta according to package instructions. Once the marinara sauce is finished, add the cauliflower mixture, and stir until everything is well combined. And, that’s it!
You can serve this over regular spaghetti, but linguine is my favorite. And, to make this dish even better, top it with my Vegan Parmesan Cheese.
Trying to watch your carb intake? You can serve this over zucchini noodles or just plain vegetables. Amazing!
More Vegan Pasta Dishes?
Try these…
- The Best Vegan Mac & Cheese
- Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato & Kale Pasta
- Sweet Chili Garlic Instant Pot Noodles
- Spicy Thai Peanut Spaghetti
- The Best Vegan Minestrone
You are going to love this Vegan Bolognese sauce recipe. It’s…
- Rich
- Meaty
- Hearty
- Satisfying
- Savory
- Easy
- Healthy
- Full of protein and fiber
- Incredibly delicious
Vegan Bolognese Tips: The longer the sauce cooks down the richer and thicker it will get. And, that’s what you want. Also, you can omit the red wine and just use low-sodium veggie broth. But, I’ve found the wine adds a depth of flavor that’s very nice.
If you make this recipe, be sure and let me know! Leave a comment, RATE IT, and tag a photo #shaneandsimple on Instagram. I want to see what you’re doing!
Print
The Best Vegan Bolognese Sauce
- Prep Time: 15 mins.
- Cook Time: 40 mins.
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Bolognese sauce is amazing! A classic Italian favorite made using cauliflower, mushrooms, and walnuts. It’s meaty, rich, hearty, savory, and absolutely delicious! It’s also completely oil free and plant based.
Ingredients
For The Crumbles
- 1 medium head of cauliflower cut into florets
- ¾ cup walnuts, chopped
- 4 ounces of chopped mushrooms
- ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
Marinara Sauce
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 cup red wine (may sub low-sodium veggie broth if needed)
- 1 28-ounce can of Cento Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- Salt & pepper to taste
Pasta
- 1 16-ounce box of whole grain spaghetti, linguine, or other favorite pasta
Suggested Topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place cauliflower, walnuts, mushrooms, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce in a food processor and pulse several times until it resembles ground beef. Be careful not to over mix because you don’t want it mushy. You want a “meaty” texture.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the cauliflower mixture evenly onto the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes then remove from the oven and gently mix with a wooden spoon or spatula. Place back in the oven and bake for 15 more minutes.
- Heat a large nonstick pot over medium heat, add the onions and garlic, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if necessary to prevent sticking.
- Pour in the red wine, stir, and allow it to cook down for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, maple syrup, and Italian seasoning and let the sauce cook for 5-6 minutes. Reduce the heat and let the marinara sauce simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- While the sauce is simmering go ahead cook the pasta according to package instructions.
- When the marinara sauce is finished, add the cauliflower mixture, and stir until everything is well combined.
- Place the desired amount of pasta on a plate and cover with the vegan bolognese sauce. Top with my Vegan Parmesan.
- Category: Main Dish
- Cuisine: Vegan
Keywords: vegan bolognese, pasta, vegan recipes, vegan bolognese sauce, plant-based recipe
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Do you think it’d be okay to de-frost & use a bag of frozen cauliflower? I realize it’s probably not ideal, but it’s what I’ve got at home, and I’m too lazy to stop at the store tonight…
Absolutely! Fresh is always best, but this will work as well.
Great! Thanks, Shane!
My pleasure.
★★★★★
do you have a suggestion for replacing nutritional yeast?
Hi, Lisa. There’s not really a replacement. But, you can always try without it. I tend to like the little bit of depth it provides. But, if you’re not a fan you probably won’t miss it. Hope this helps.
Rich, savory, and meaty! Delish.
★★★★★
Taste was good. It took me much longer than 15 minutes to prepare it. Not sure what I did wrong, but as soon as I added the cauliflower mixture to the marinara the color turned gray. (Maybe the walnuts?) Having said all that, I’d still make it again. I’d probably reduce or eliminate the walnuts and allow more time to prep.
★★★★
Hi, Amy! Not sure why it turned gray. I tend to determine the prep time on my prep time after I’ve made it several times. LOL! I hope you enjoyed it.
Just made this…new to this lifestyle and partner and I really enjoyed…..as there is only the two of us just wondering if it freezes ok? Otherwise it is ‘mince’ for lots of nights!
Hi, Erin! I haven’t frozen it yet because it usually doesn’t last that long at my house. It will keep in the fridge for a week.
I made this last night and we loved the flavor. I used frozen Riced cauliflower as I always do and it worked great. I also used fire roasted Muir Glen Diced tomatoes instead of the Centra tomatoes that you have linked. While it was delicious, it was gray and looked nothing like your photo. Wondering how to remedy next time for a better presentation? Maybe if I add some tomato sauce or if I use the Centra tomatoes next time. It was chunky tomato-ish and not saucy at all. Also the recipe says fire roasted, but the link is not fire roasted. If you don’t mind clarifying, I would appreciate it. Also we had butternut squash zoodles along with the pasta, definitely preferred the pasta, but both were good. Thanks again!
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed it. I’m sorry, it should read Cento Crushed Tomatoes. So sorry for the misprint. I just fixed it.
Super delicious! Really flavorful and my Italian husband loved it! Thanks for another stellar recipe!
★★★★★
Wow, Colleen! Thank you so much!
Sooooooo good!!! Both of us loved it and it hit all my childhood favorite notes and feels so indulgent and yet it’s not!! Win win!
★★★★★
I love it when a recipe brings back memories. It’s always a main goal. Blessings.
Made this tonight for the family and we all loved it! Thanks!!
★★★★★
Awesome! Thank you!!!
Can you tell me how I would make this in the instant pot?
Thanks so much! Looks delicious!
This wouldn’t do so well in the IP. The cauliflower would become too mushy:(
So good! I used the noodles from the leftover “redneck pad thai” and … YUM! WE enjoyed this for almost a week! Thanks!
★★★★★
Wow! All I can say is wow. This was so flavorful and amazing. I think, if I had a meat eater at my table, they would have loved it as well. This is definitely going into my rotation! Thank you!
★★★★★
Eva, that’s so great! I’m so glad you enjoyed and thanks for reaching out. Blessings.
Delicious!! Love how nutritious the sauce is too!
★★★★★
We made this over the weekend and it was outstanding!! I used to make a meat based bolognese that was really great. This one was just as good and way more healthy!! We loved it!!
★★★★★
We made this over the weekend and it was outstanding!! I used to make a meat based bolognese that was really great. This one was just as good and way more healthy!! We loved it!!
★★★★★
That’s awesome!!!
Just made this afternoon to go with spaghetti squash. It was delicious! Have enough left to make some pasta tomorrow to go with it. Thanks for another winner of a recipe that’s great for our plant-based, oil free diet!
★★★★★
Thank you, Amy!