The Best Vegan Pasta Bolognese
Is it just me or do you also enjoy pasta more in the cooler months? I'm not talking about fresh, citrusy pasta salads; I mean those deep, earthy, richly flavored sauces that warm you up from the inside out. One such pasta I've had on repeat lately is my latest bolognese sauce recipe. I promise you'll think it is the best vegan pasta bolognese you have ever had.
I've had this recipe on repeat for months, and now that it's cooler weather, I think I'll be making it even more often. My process gives you a creamy, chunky, and juicy bolognese. It has just the right amount of kick from red peppers and acidity from the tomatoes. In the time it takes to cook the sauce, the pasta finishes boiling to al dente. Don't you just love efficient meal prepping? This recipe scales up/down easily so you can use these exact measurements to batch cook 8 servings as meal prep, or cut it down proportionally if you're cooking for one.
We start with your favorite vegan ground meat. The Impossible Foods savory ground sausage is personally my favorite for this recipe. It has a beautifully rich flavor, sears up nicely and has a juicy texture you crave with a bolognese. I have tried other vegan ground sausage brands, but Impossible is my favorite. You can definitely use TVP or crumbled tofu too, though the texture would be different (not a bad thing, but just a preference).
Then you get to add in whatever veggies you want- my veggie of choice here is zucchini. It cooks fast, adds a great kick of fiber, and to be honest a meal isn't complete for me without a generous serving of something green. Other options here are carrots, broccoli, fresh spinach, etc. Then you bring the sauce together with the marinara, add in your pasta and you're done.
This meal is nutritionally balanced, with around 22g protein, 6g fiber, 40g carbs, and 365 calories per serve. That's around 24% of calories from protein- pretty impressive! I use a higher protein pasta to help support more balanced macros- my favorite is Barilla Protein+ but you can use Banza or any variety you like. I just don't like most of the other "healthy" pasta alternatives.
Grab my recipe below and leave me a comment if you liked it!
A vegan version of the traditional bolognese pasta sauce
- 28 ounce Vegan Ground Sausage (I use Impossible)
- 2 Zucchini
- 24 ounce Marinara (I use lower sodium)
- 14 ounce Protein Pasta (I use Barilla Protein+)
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp Red Chili Flakes (measure with your heart)
- 1 handful Fresh Basil Leaves (cut into ribbons)
Servings 8
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 365kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 10g16%
- Total Carbohydrate 43g15%
- Dietary Fiber 6g24%
- Protein 22g44%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
- Avoid extra oil when sauteing the ground sausage- it adds calories and is unnecessary given the oil in the ground sausage is itself plenty to cook it.
- Your protein content can be much higher if you use a pure bean or lentil or chickpea based pasta. I just do not like anything other than Barilla Protein+