Vegan Bolognese Sauce*

The best Bolognese ever! Without any substitutes, but with smoked tofu!

Sure - there are now endless vegan minced meat alternatives on the market. And most of them can hardly be identified from animal mince. Nevertheless, I'm a big fan of smoked tofu, because - properly prepared - it's an alternative that's at least as tasty, but significantly less expensive.

I prefer to prepare my tofu in the oven, so it becomes nice and firm and crispy and is the ideal base for casseroles, stews or this phenomenal Bolognese sauce!

*this recipe contains advertising due to brand mention

For 4 servings you need:

For the tofu mince:

• 350g smoked tofu

• 1 tbsp oil

• 2 tsp. Bolognese seasoning from JustSpices*

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

*with the code justkathikochtvegan you get the Bolognese spice for free if you buy more than 20€.

For the tomato sauce:

• 500g strained tomatoes

• 500g chopped tomatoes

• 1 onion

• 1 large carrot

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1,5 tsp salt

• 1 tsp pepper

• 3 tsp. Bolognese seasoning

• 1/2 tsp chili flakes

• 1/2 tsp sugar

• 1 tbsp oil

• Optional: 150ml vegan red wine

Other:

• 350g spaghetti

Preparation:

Tofu mince:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C top and bottom heat.

2. Press 350g of smoked tofu between two layers of kitchen roll.

3. Cut it into large cubes and put it into a blender with 1 tablespoon of oil, 2 teaspoons of Bolognese spice, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika and 1 teaspoon of salt and chop it until crumbly.

4. Spread the tofu crumbs on a baking tray and put them in the oven for about 30 minutes. Mix them from time to time.

Tomato Sauce:

1. Peel 1 large carrot, 1 onion and 2 cloves of garlic.

2. Finely dice the carrot and onion and finely chop the garlic.

3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and sauté the vegetables until the onions are translucent.

4. Add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and sauté until the sugar is slightly caramelized.

5. Now optionally deglaze with 150ml red wine and let it simmer down a bit.

6. Then add 500g chopped and 500g strained tomatoes and season with 1.5 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 3 tsp Bolognese seasoning and 1/2 tsp chili flakes.

7. Lastly, add the baked minced tofu and stir it in.

8. Let the sauce simmer for at least 30 minutes with the lid closed.

9. Cook 350g spaghetti according to package instructions and serve with the tofu bolognese.

Enjoy!