Let’s be real – pasta is life.
So, I decided to switch things up from my boring bowls of pasta and make something that was partnered up with something savory, textured, and a little bit on the fancier side.
And by fancy, I mean, do more work than just dumping a jar of pasta sauce onto noodles and calling that dinner (which I also love sometimes).
I try to keep my recipe short and simple, but this one does take a little bit more effort and ingredients. But, when I tell you it’s worth it – I mean it.
What I really dig about this recipe is that a whole bag of this incredible pasta was $1 (which I only used about 3 servings’ worth). Additionally, a lot of these ingredients are pretty affordable. If need be, switch out some of the fresh items like garlic or onion for the dry stuff.
Meatless Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups pasta sauce
- 1.5 cups common mushroom chopped
- 1/2 sweet onion chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 garlic clove crushed, minced
- 1/4 cup walnuts finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablesppon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar optional
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Toast your chopped walnuts in a toaster oven at 350F degrees for 1 – 1.5 minutes. Set aside.
- In a pan over medium heat, add olive oil and onions. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Then, add the mushrooms and red bell pepper to the saucepan. Cook and stir for 8 minutes, or until the water from the mushroom has been cooked off.
- In the same saucepan, add your tomato paste, marinara sauce, Italian seasonings, roasted walnuts, fennel seeds, and garlic powder, garlic. Mix well.
- Finally, reduce heat to low and allow the sauce to simmer for about 5-8 minutes.
- Taste, add a pinch of sugar if the sauce is too acidic. (optional)
- Serve with pasta.
Notes
- If you don’t have fresh garlic. No big deal. Just skip out of it and use more garlic powder.
- I used rigatoni pasta. However, feel free to use whatever you have.
- The best way to get started with this recipe is to just have everything prepped and chopped prior to the actual cooking.
- When you’re toasting the walnuts, keep an eye out. Otherwise, they can go from toasty to burn quickly.
- If you don’t have a toaster oven, you can toast your walnuts on a stovetop.
- If the recipe ends up too acidic, add a pinch of sugar.
- This recipe makes about 3 servings
Did you try out this Meatless Bolognese Sauce recipe?
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I’ve never had meatless bolognese, but this recipe looks perfect! I can’t wait to try!
I will have to try this for meatless Monday!! Looks so good!!!
Now this Pasta looks absolutely delicious! I love how hearty it is even without meat!
Wow–this looks so comforting. Especially for it to be meatless!
Never thought of meatless bolognese before! We love mushrooms, so we’ll give this a try!
This looks like a hearty umami rich sauce that I can make and won’t miss the meat! Mmmmm!!
I love mushroom filled meatless recipes – this is a keeper!! Thanks girl! xx
Same!!! Hope you love it 🙂