Tofu Bolognese – Vegan
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The best tofu bolognese from scratch! It’s hearty and meaty, packed with Italian sausage flavor in a classic red wine tomato sauce lusciously coating long spaghetti noodles. So easy, so delicious and checks all the boxes for your ultimate pasta night dinner!
Tofu Bolognese
I’ve made us an amazing vegan bolognese before but this one is faster, simpler with protein packed tofu (no mushrooms) and totally doable on a weeknight. Who knew tofu could transform into such flavorful crispy sausage bits you’ll need help not eating before the sauce is ready?! And you don’t even have to press it! Life made – that is all I have to say!
Prepping the Tofu Meat
- Don’t Press the Tofu – Start with an extra firm block packed in water, drain it well but DO NOT PRESS it. All the extra moisture will evaporate during roasting and actually prevent it from drying out.
- Crumble It – Use a potato masher or just your hands to break up the tofu into small bite size pieces, aim for a mix of larger and smaller bits.
- Season Well – Sprinkle the Italian sausage spices all over the top and toss to coat well. Spread on a large parchment lined baking sheet giving it plenty of space to get crispy and not steam.
- Roast It – 400″F is the perfect temperate to get crispy bits but without actually drying out the center (this is also a reason why you don’t want to press it for this recipe). For extra richness drizzle some extra olive oil over the top before cooking. I find that 30 minutes with a stir half way yields the ideal texture for me, you should keep an eye on it the first time you make it and see if you might prefer it less done or even crisper and chewier texture.
The Ragu alla Bolognese Sauce
You really want to do this right and start from scratch here to achieve that specific Bolognese flavor profile. Just using whatever jarred sauce will not cut it, please, please trust me on this one and your sauce will turn out as the most amazing Bolognese you remember + it’s vegan! Winning baby!
- Aromatics – Onion, carrot, celery and garlic, this is your classic flavor base upon which you will build the complex ragu flavors.
- Tomato Paste – Just a little bit for sweetness to balance the acidity of the sauce.
- Red Wine – This is IMPORTANT so please don’t skip it! It’s what gives the sauce its unique flavor and differentiates it from a simple marinara. I prefer a fruity Chianti as I find it very food friendly but any medium-bodied red will do here.
- Herbs + Spices – I like to use bay and rosemary and a tiny pinch of fennel seeds for depth of flavor. I’m not looking to taste a particular spice here just rich complex flavors.
- Tomatoes – 28 oz can of whole San Marzano Tomatoes because they are the best sweetest tomatoes and they reduce into the most fabulous thick sauce that will coat your noodles like nobody’s business.
Choosing the Pasta
I’m a big fan of spaghetti for pasta night (yes I do have a spaghetti drawer) but it must be a really good Italian semolina pasta. I’m very partial to a thinner spaghetti noodle here but definitely not capellini. However this is where some thick Bucatini could really shine as well so listen to your heart on this one. Traditionally wide Tagliatelle noodles or rigatoni with tons of ridges are served with a thick Bolognese sauce so you can experiment here and find your perfect pairing.
On Storage
Any leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 5 days (just because I’m not the FDA). Reheat on a stovetop in a skillet adding a little bit of water to loosen up the sauce if need be. In general I find it’s best to store the sauce and the pasta separately and combine when serving but honestly these leftovers were pretty fantastic all stored together and reheated in a skillet.
Vegan Pasta Recipes
- Vegan Alfredo Sauce
- Ultimate Broccoli Pasta
- Vegan Lasagna
- Mushroom Ragu
- Vegan Cacio e Pepe
- Avocado Pesto Pasta
- Vegan Roasted Tomato Puttanesca Pasta
- Stuffed Shells
- Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta.
How to Make Vegan Tofu Bolognese Video
Tofu Bolognese - Vegan
Ingredients
- 14 oz block extra firm tofu
- 2 Tbsp Shoyu or Tamari
- 1.5 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp granulated onion
- 1.5 tsp smoked paprika
- 1.5 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 3/4 lb spaghetti
The Bolognese Sauce
- 28 oz can san Marzano tomatoes whole
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 1 celery stalk diced
- 1 small carrot (finely grated via a microplane grater)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste (double concentrated if available)
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 tsp fennel seeds optional
- 1 tsp sea salt or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400”F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Drain the tofu block and transfer it to a shallow bowl. Using a potato masher or your hand, break the block into bite size pieces, you want to have some larger and smaller bits. ( DO NOT PRESS the tofu).14 oz block extra firm tofu
- Drizzle the tofu with the olive oil, shoyu, onion, paprika and nutritional yeast. Toss to coat well then transfer it to the prepared baking sheet.2 Tbsp Shoyu or Tamari, 1.5 Tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp granulated onion, 1.5 tsp smoked paprika, 1.5 Tbsp nutritional yeast, 2 tsp maple syrup
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown giving it a toss half way. Remove from the oven and set aside while your sauce is cooking. (NOTE: keep an eye on the tofu as timing will depend on the size of the pieces, you want nicely golden tofu bits but not extra crispy, the longer you cook it the crispier and chewier will get. If you prefer a more tender texture cut back the baking time by 5 minutes).
The Sauce
- Preheat a heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Add a light drizzle of olive oil and sauté the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt and chili flakes until softened and the veggies start to get a little color.1 small onion, 1 celery stalk, 1 small carrot, 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- Push aromatics to the side and drizzle a bit of olive oil in the center. Add the garlic (and fennel seeds if using) and sauté until fragrant, about 40 seconds or so.3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp fennel seeds
- Add the tomato paste and give everything a good stir. Pour in the red wine, bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half.1 Tbsp tomato paste, 1/2 cup red wine
- Meanwhile transfer the tomatoes to a large bowl and using your hand crush them into a thick puree saving a few larger chunks for texture. Add them to the pot with the aromatics along with the bay and rosemary.28 oz can san Marzano tomatoes, 2 bay leaves, 1 sprig rosemary
- Bring to a simmer and partially cover with a lid. Cook on medium low heat for about 30 minutes until thickened and the flavors have concentrated. Season to taste with sea salt and discard the bay and rosemary.1 tsp sea salt
- Add the tofu meat into the sauce and stir well to combine (reserve some crispy bits for garnish if desired). Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Meanwhile boil the spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and toss with the bolognese sauce until lusciously coated all over. Serve with some fresh basil leaves, any reserved tofu meat and some grated vegan parmesan.3/4 lb spaghetti
Out of this world, probably the best pasta ever! The kids loved it, the husband asked for seconds, needles to say I will make it again for dinner. Roasting the tofu at such a high temp makes it perfectly chewy but not dry at all and the bolognese sauce is incredible. Amazing, go make this people!
This was incredible, everyone wanted seconds! A keeper!