Tofu Bolognese

Tofu Bolognese is a recipe I have been wanting to try, but have been a little hesitant to do so.  If you’ve followed me for awhile, you know that I am not a huge fan of tofu.  It’s a texture thing.  Then, I found this method of both baking and pan-frying the tofu and it makes the most amazing vegan bolognese!

But there is way more to my bolognese than just tofu.  Fresh mushrooms, shallot, garlic, carrots, celery and tomato sauce seasoned and reduced down with a splash of your favorite vegan white wine.  Top it all off with a sprinkle of vegan parmesan.  Yum!

The first step is to press out every bit of moisture you can from the block of extra firm tofu (either using a tofu press or paper towels).  Once you get it as dry as you can, it should crumble very easily.  I use paper towels to press out any remaining moisture.  I then baked the tofu until it was dry.  At this point, I added 1 tsp of oil to a non-stick skillet and fried the tofu crumbles until they were golden and some of the edges were crispy.

Meanwhile, in another saute pan, I added shallots, carrots and celery cooking until tender. Mushrooms are added and finally at the last minute, add the garlic, cooking for just a few minutes taking care not to burn.  A splash of your favorite vegan white wine de-glazes the pan and is reduced until nearly evaporated so we get the flavor and not the alcohol.

I added a can of tomato sauce and seasoned well, letting the sauce simmer to allow all of the flavors to meld.

I like Bucatini for this recipe, but you could use virtually any pasta shape you like.  P.S.  This recipe also makes an amazing sauce for lasagna!

Top with vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast and serve with a salad and garlic bread.

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5 from 1 vote

Tofu Bolognese

Author Veg Life Staff

Ingredients

• 1 block of Extra Firm Tofu drained and pressed to remove excess moisture
• 2 tsp Oil 1 for for the tofu, 1 for sauteeing the veggies
• 8 oz . of Fresh Mushrooms diced
• 1 Shallot diced
• 1/2 clove Garlic
• 1 Medium Carrot diced
• 1 Celery Stalk diced
• Splash of Vegan White Wine
• 8 oz . can of Tomato Sauce
• Season to taste with salt pepper, Italian herbs, etc.
• Vegan Parmesan
• Buccatini or other pasta
• Flat Leaf Italian Parsley for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Drain and press tofu to remove liquids. Crumble onto a lined sheet tray. If needed, use paper toweling to remove any remaining moisture.
• Bake until the tofu is dry.
• Meanwhile, in a saute pan with 1 tsp of oil, add the shallots, carrots and celery cooking until tender.
• Add the fresh mushrooms and in the few final minutes, the garlic.
• Add a splash of white wine and saute until the alcohol and most of the moisture cooks away.
• Set aside.
• Remove the tofu from the oven and add it to a preheated saute pan over medium high heat with 1 tsp of oil. Continue to pan fry until golden and some of the edges are crispy.
• Combine the tofu and veggies in a sauce pot. Add the tomato sauce and season to taste using salt, pepper and Italian herbs.
• While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta and drain.
• Top the pasta sauce with vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast and serve with a side salad and/or garlic bread.
• Garnish with fresh Italian parsley.