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This Vegetarian Bolognese recipe is a delicious summer dinner when served over cauliflower gnocchi or pasta! The sauce is made with tons of flavorful vegetables cooked in a rich tomato based sauce. This meatless version is just as hearty and delicious. Bonus: it freezes well too! Enjoy with the Best Caesar Salad and Aperol Spritz for an incredible vegetarian meal!
Eating meatless doesn’t have to be boring! Some of your favorite cozy meals can be just as delicious minus the meat! Everything from Cuban Black Bean Soup, to this Creamy Mushroom Pasta, Pastina or these Vegetarian Boa Buns are all beloved favorites perfect for vegan or vegetarian lifestyles or Meat-less Mondays!
Ingredients You’ll Need for Vegetarian Bolognese
- Sauce – Use a combination of canned crushed tomatoes and tomato paste for a rich tomato flavor.
- Vegetables – Onion, garlic, carrot, cauliflower and mushrooms are finely minced and give the sauce a ground meat type of texture. Carrots are classic in traditional bolognese recipes and the mushrooms give the sauce a “meat-like” taste and texture.
- Parmesan-Reggiano – We’re using the good stuff! If you’re vegan swap it out for a dairy-free variety.
- Gnocchi – I served this vegetarian bolognese over cauliflower gnocchi to keep this meal light as well as gluten free and grain-free but feel free to swap it out for the pasta of your choice! It would even go well with a bucatini (like my Spaghetti and Meatballs).
For the rest of the ingredients, please refer to the recipe index card below!
How to Make Vegetarian Bolognese
- Prep the veggies. The texture we want with the vegetables is as close to ground meat as we can get, so I like to chop each vegetable with a food processor to get it that fine. If you don’t have a food processor just use a knife to chop up the vegetables as fine as you can get them.
- Cook the veggies. Cook the veggies in batches until they’ve softened significantly and have sweated out all their liquid. Salting the mushrooms early can make them waterlogged, so wait until this step to salt them.
- Add everything else and simmer. Once the veggies are cooked, add the tomatoes with the spices and cheese and simmer just enough to get the canned flavor out of the tomatoes. Taste and add salt if needed then serve over whatever you’d like!
Tips and Tricks
- This is a perfect make-ahead meal! The sauce will last for a few days when in an airtight container in the fridge.
- If you wanted to use other vegetables that you have on hand that’s fine! I will say that the only vegetables that can’t be swapped out are the mushrooms, they give the sauce that hearty meat like base that makes a bolognese.
- How to freeze vegetarian bolognese sauce. Let it cool completely then place in a freezer safe bag (I like to freeze it flat on a baking sheet first so it’s easier to store). Once frozen, remove the baking sheet.
Recipe FAQs
This vegetarian sauce is filled with finely chopped vegetables like mushrooms, onions and carrots stewed in a rich tomato sauce.
Both sauces have pretty similar ingredients. Bolognese has a base of ingredients like carrots and celery. There is also some kind of dairy like milk or parmesan cheese; while spaghetti sauce typically doesn’t.
More Vegetarian Recipes
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Vegetarian Bolognese Recipe
Equipment
- Food processor or sharp chef's knife
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion, peeled and minced
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 large carrot, peeled and minced
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms
- 1/2 head cauliflower, florets removed and stems trimmed
- 1 (26-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt , or to taste
- 1/2 crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan-Reggiano, plus more as garnish
- 1 pound of cauliflower gnocchi OR pasta of choice
Instructions
- Pull out your food processor. If you donโt have one, you can just minced everything with a knife. But I do love the fine mince that is provided by the food processor because it makes it almost โground.โ Add the onion and garlic and pulse until diced. Repeat with the carrot, cremini mushrooms and cauliflower.
- In a medium Dutch oven, set over medium-low heat, add the olive oil. When warm, add the minced onion, garlic and carrot; cook until softened about 10 minutes.
- Then add the mushrooms, and cauliflower, adding a few tablespoons of olive oil if needed (I needed it). Cook, stirring frequently, until liquid has released from the vegetables and evaporates and theyโre totally softened, about 10 minutes. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, salt, dried oregano, red pepper flakes and finely grated Parmesan. Cook for an additional 15 minutes, just until the flavors have married together. Give it a taste and adjust the salt to your liking. Turn the flame to low to keep warm while you cook the gnocchi/paste.
- To cook the cauliflower gnocchi, add a tablespoon of olive oil to a non-stick skillet. When warm, add the gnocchi and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until lightly golden brown. Add a ladle or two of the sauce and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Divide amongst bowls and top with another spoonful of โbolognese.โ Garnish with parmesan cheese, basil leaves, more crushed red pepperโฆif youโre into that sort of thing.
- Youโll end up with leftover โbologneseโโgood! This freezes so well. Add to a freezer-safe container and place in the freezer. To thaw, transfer to the fridge or leave out on the counter.
Notes
Tips and Tricks
- This is a perfect make-ahead meal!ย The sauce will last for a few days at least, tightly sealed in the fridge.
- If you wanted to use other vegetablesย that you have on hand thatโs fine! I will say that the only vegetables that canโt be swapped out are the mushrooms, they give the sauce that hearty meat like base that makes a bolognese.
- How to freeze vegetarian bolognese sauce:ย Let it cool completely then place in a freezer safe bag (I like to freeze it flat on a baking sheet first so itโs easier to store). Once itโs frozen, remove the baking sheet.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi! Did you change this recipe? I swear it used to have zucchini and a red bell pepper in it.
I have this same question! I made this again recently and also remembered red pepper and zucchini.
Such an awesome recipe! Have made three or four times now. Love it!!
Amazing Recipe!! Probably one of my favoire recipe’s i’ve made off of pinterest/food blog. It taste exactly like a regular bolognese sauce. So delicious. I followed the recipe to a T, except I used Fire Roasted Canned Crushed Tomatoes to add a little spice. Highly recommend
oh love the addition of the fire roasted crushed tomatoes!
Just made this and WOW is it delicious and easy!
love it!
This is honestly one of the best recipes I’ve made in awhile! And it made so much! I am so glad I stumbled upon your website. Everything I’ve made so far has been incredible and unique. Thank you!
Iโm so happy that I found your site and this recipe! I only made the sauce and it was soooo good. Iโve been searching for a veggie bolognese for awhile and this is the one for me. ๐
Ahh wonderful–so glad you love it. Also so glad you found me ๐
Lovely! The chili flakes look so good, tasty plate!
– Natalie Ellis