Tofu Bolognese

Tofu Bolognese is a meat-free version of the beloved comfort food that everyone loves. This vegan ragu follows the traditional Italian recipe as close as possible but uses crumbled tofu instead of mince. The result is a delicious bowl of goodness that you may end up craving over and over again.

Bolognese sauce, or ragú alla bolognese, as it's known in Italian, is one of the most popular Italian food exports. It's a meat-based sauce typical to it's generally used for tagliatelle al ragú.

Outside Italy, the term "Bolognese" is used for any tomato sauce with mince, and even though they're not a thing in Italy, the so-called "Spaghetti Bolognese" or "Spag Bol" are popular in numerous countries.

Just because you're a vegan, it doesn't mean that you can't enjoy a steaming bowl of Bolognese. This tofu Bolognese recipe stays close to the original ragu recipe but uses crumbled tofu instead of mince. The result is a rich, meaty sauce that is likely to please everyone.

I like to toss the pasta with the sauce, so each bowl is well-balanced, but you can also serve the ragu over your favorite pasta instead. If you choose to keep the ragu and pasta separate, you can also freeze the sauce for later.

What tofu do you need for vegan Bolognese?

Any kind of tofu works for vegan Bolognese sauce, as long as it's not smoked. You don't need to press the tofu to use it in the sauce. Instead, simply drain it and then crumble it with your fingers into small pieces.

You can crumble it as much as you want. I personally like to leave some larger pieces because you can bite into them in the sauce.

I like to fry the tofu for a couple of minutes together with the onion, carrots, and celery to remove some of the moisture and give it a bit of a golden look. You need to be careful not to burn the tofu in the pan, so you'll need to stir regularly.

If you don't want to babysit the tofu, you can simply add it to the pan with the tomatoes, herbs and stock and simmer it instead. The result will be the same, but the tofu may leave some more liquid in the sauce, which means you may need to simmer it for longer to thicken.

How do you make the tofu pasta sauce?

• Heat the olive oil in a large, deep pan, and fry the onion, carrots, and celery for 8-10 minutes over medium heat until they soften.
• Add the crumbled tofu to the pan and fry it gently for 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute until fragrant.
• Stir in the white wine and continue to cook, stirring, until the alcohol evaporates.
• Next, add the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes and stir to combine.

• Add the oregano, thyme, sage, and brown sugar, then pour in the vegetable stock.
• Stir to combine, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce thickens.
• Add the pasta to the pot and toss it well to combine with the sauce.
• Season to taste and serve immediately. Alternatively, serve the sauce over the pasta without tossing it first.

Recipe Notes and tips

• You can add some crushed red pepper flakes to give the sauce a bit of a kick.
• Instead of crumbling the tofu with your hands, you can grind it with the help of a food processor.
• The tofu will absorb some of the sauce, so if it starts to look too thick, add a dash of pasta water.
• Use whatever pasta you want for vegan Bolognese. Spaghetti is the most popular option, but short varieties, such as the penne I used, are also great.
• Sprinkle a bit of nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan before serving if you like.

If you liked this tofu Bolognese, have a look at some of my other easy vegan pasta recipes:

Vegan Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Walnuts (Tagliatelle ai Funghi)

Creamy Vegan Peanut Pasta

Creamy Vegan Sausage Pasta with Spinach

20-Minute Vegan Pasta Puttanesca

Vegan Penne Alla Vodka

Don't miss out on any new recipes! Follow Vegan Cocotte on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.