Jackfruit Bolognese Ragu

This hearty vegan jackfruit Bolognese ragu is a healthy and delicious spin on the classic Italian pasta sauce. It's loaded with nutrients and just perfect for a fuss-free weeknight dinner.

Jackfruit bolognese is a cosy comfort food recipe that's naturally vegan yet still incredibly tasty.

Tinned jackfruit is just the perfect ingredient for a hearty vegan ragu alla bolognese. That's because of its "meaty" texture that makes the sauce hearty and satisfying.

This vegan jackfruit bolognese ragu is super easy to make using tinned jackfruit and green lentils and is just perfect over long or short pasta.

Why you'll love this jackfruit Bolognese ragu

• It's super easy to make. You can have a bowl of this delicious vegan jackfruit pasta in your hands in just a bit over half an hour.
• It has a hearty, "meaty" texture. The combination of lentils and jackfruit makes the sauce incredibly satisfying.
• It's extra nutritious. You'll get loads of protein from the lentils and vitamins from the veggies in this vegan ragu.

Ingredients and substitutions

Olive oil - Sauteeing the veggies in a bit of extra virgin olive oil sets up an excellent flavour base for the ragu. However, if you don't cook with oil, you can saute the onion, carrot and celery in some veggie stock instead.

Onion, carrot and celery - Dice the veggies small for this ragu, so they cook quickly and evenly.

Garlic - Freshly chopped garlic is best for this jackfruit pasta, but if you don't have any, you can use frozen garlic instead.

Fresh thyme - I love the flavour of fresh thyme in any bolognese-style ragu, and this jackfruit ragu is no exception. Alternatives include fresh rosemary or using dried herbs instead.

Tomato paste - I only use tomato paste for this ragu, but if you want a more pronounced tomato flavour, you can also add a can of chopped tomatoes.

Lentils - Canned green lentils are best in this recipe because you don't need to plan ahead. However, you can also use lentils that you've cooked from scratch.

Jackfruit - Tinned jackfruit is best for this type of sauce. Drain the jackfruit (there's no need to rinse it) and then pull it apart in strands.

I like the stalk parts of jackfruit, too, but they're not everyone's cup of tea because they're harder, so feel free to discard them.

Pasta - I used tagliatelle for this ragu because it's just the perfect shape of pasta for this sauce, but spaghetti or fusilli would also be great.

Vegan Parmesan - This is optional but great if you like to add some cheesy flavour to the finished sauce.

How to make jackfruit bolognese

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep pan or Dutch oven and saute the onion, carrot and celery for 4-5 minutes over medium heat until softened.

Add the garlic and thyme, stir to combine and continue to cook for another minute until fragrant.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute.

Add the lentils, jackfruit and vegetable stock and stir to combine. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it well, and cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the package.

Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan, toss well, and stir in the parsley and vegan Parmesan if using.

Season to taste and serve immediately, topped with extra fresh parsley and Parmesan if you like.

Leftovers and storage

• Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
• Reheat the jackfruit bolognese in the microwave or on the stovetop. You may need to add a dash of water or veggie stock because the pasta will soak up a lot of the liquid.
• If you want to freeze this vegan Bolognese ragu, I recommend doing so without the pasta. The sauce will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
• To reheat, thaw it overnight in the fridge and then reheat it on the stovetop in the microwave until piping hot. Serve with over freshly cooked pasta. If the sauce looks too thick, use a bit of the water you cooked the pasta in to thin it.

Recipe notes and tips

• Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce if you want to get that umami flavour specific to meat and make the sauce a bit more interesting.
• Deglaze the pan with a bit of red wine before adding the tomato paste for extra flavour. Make sure you use a vegan wine and cook it for a couple of minutes until the alcohol evaporates.
• Add 1-2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning mix or a mix of dried oregano and basil to add a herby flavour to the sauce.

If you liked this jackfruit bolognese ragu, you might also like some of my other easy vegan pasta recipes:

• Vegan Caponata Pasta
• Vegan Pasta alla Norma
• 20-Minute Vegan Pasta Puttanesca
• Creamy Vegan Tahini Pasta
• Coconut Milk Pasta Sauce

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