You won't miss the meat with this roasted vegetable bolognese. The rich flavors from the roasted vegetables create a luscious sauce full of flavor that you'll love!
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What makes this dish special
I recently realized that whenever I go traveling, I consume very little vegetables. I try to order as many greens as I can but it still doesn't amount to how much produce I eat at home. The moment I come home, heck even on the plane ride home, I'm thinking about one thing, "what should I eat when I come back?". It's been almost a month since I've been back home and I am still making half my meals vegetarian; I must eat as many vegetables as possible!
To make vegetables more enticing to my husband, I throw them in a sauce like in this ricotta gnocchi with ratatouille, pan fry until golden like in this crispy cauliflower steak recipe, or specially prepare them like in this roasted vegetable bolognese. I kid you not, my husband said that you couldn't even tell there was no meat in this pasta. Flavorful and healthy? Sign me up.
Ingredients
- Onion: Onions are foundational for building flavor in the bolognese. They provide sweetness and depth as they caramelize during cooking, forming a savory base that enhances the overall taste of the sauce.
- Carrots: Contribute natural sweetness and a slight earthiness to the sauce. They add texture and are part of the mirepoix (a mixture of onions, carrots, and celery) that forms the aromatic backbone of many sauces, including bolognese.
- Garlic: Adds a robust, aromatic flavor that complements the other ingredients.
- Mushrooms: Mushrooms are key to achieving a hearty, umami-rich flavor in vegetable bolognese. They mimic the texture of meat and add a savory depth to the sauce when sautéed, enhancing its richness.
- Tomato paste: Intensifies the tomato flavor in the bolognese. It adds thickness and richness to the sauce.
- Red wine: Adds acidity, complexity, and depth to the sauce. It helps deglaze the pan, releasing any flavorful bits stuck to the bottom while enhancing the overall taste with its fruity notes.
- Canned crushed tomatoes: Serve as the primary liquid base for the bolognese. They provide acidity and a rich tomato flavor.
- Italian seasoning: A blend of herbs that adds a fragrant, herby flavor to the bolognese.
- Pasta: Serve the sauce with wider noodles such as tagliatelle, pappardelle, fettuccine, or spaghetti.
Substitutions and variations
- Spicy: Add red chili flakes to the sauce for a little kick.
- Gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta.
- Vegan: Omit the parmesan cheese.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Prepare vegetables
I love a traditional bolognese sauce. The slowly simmered meat with tomatoes and wine is something I can never resist. But let's be real, I don't have the time to cook a sauce on the stovetop for hours on end. That's where this roasted vegetable bolognese enters the picture. The sauce is ready in half the time and still delivers on every note including flavor.
The main vegetable in the sauce is mushrooms. To mimic ground beef, pulse the mushrooms until finely chopped. You can also chop the mushrooms by hand but I'm all about speed. Just make sure to not puree the mushrooms into a paste when using the food processor.
Meanwhile, roast the carrots, onions, and garlic. This is where more flavor comes in. The charred flavor will come through in the sauce and give it that umami punch. Plus, who doesn't love a whole head of roasted garlic in pasta sauce?
Step 2: Saute
Saute the mushrooms until they are caramelized and add the tomato paste, stirring well to coat the mushrooms. Don't worry if the paste gets stuck to the bottom of the pot. We're going to deglaze with red wine and scrape up all that goodness right back into the sauce.
Finely chop the roasted veggies and back them into the pot along with canned tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. If tomatoes are in season, use fresh instead.
Now instead of simmering the sauce for hours as you would for bolognese, we're going to let this cook for about 30 minutes.
Step 3: Toss with pasta
Toss cooked pasta with the sauce, reserved pasta water, and parmesan, cooking the sauce until it becomes nice and creamy. You can use any shaped noodles but I chose penne so that the sauce can get stuck in all the nooks and crannies.
Finish the pasta with more parmesan and dig in.
I loved this roasted vegetable bolognese so much that I saved the extra sauce and served it with crusty bread as an afternoon snack. I will always love my meat bolognese but will gladly eat this vegetarian version any day of the week!
For another fantastic vegetarian pasta, be sure to check out this eggplant ragu, skillet cacio e pepe gnocchi alla vodka, and sun-dried tomato pesto pasta with burrata!
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: You can prepare the sauce in advance and cook the pasta just before serving.
- Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can substitute or add other vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, or eggplant based on your preference.
Yes, the sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
More vegetarian pasta recipes
Looking for more vegetarian pasta ideas? Try these:
Recipe
Roasted Vegetable Bolognese
Ingredients
Roasted vegetables
- 1 onion quartered, peel on
- 2 carrots
- 1 head of garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Vegetable bolognese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms
- 8 ounces button mushrooms
- 2 portobello mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup red wine
- 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Remaining ingredients
- 12 ounces pasta
- ½ cup pasta water
- ½ cup grated parmesan plus more for servings
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Toss quartered onion, carrots, and garlic in olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Wrap garlic in aluminum foil and place vegetables on a baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes or until softened. Remove from the oven and remove onion peel. Squeeze garlic from the skins and pulse vegetables in the food processor until finely chopped. Remove and set aside.
- Roughly chop mushrooms into small chunks either by hand or with a food processor. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 7-8 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir to coat the mushrooms. Cook for 1 minute or until tomato paste has caramelized.
- Add red wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any tomato paste that might be stuck. Add canned tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and roasted vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 30 minutes on low heat.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the water.
- Add pasta to vegetable ragu along with the reserved ½ cup pasta water and ½ cup grated parmesan. Stir until cheese has melted and sauce is thick and creamy. Season once more with salt and pepper.
- Portion the pasta into 4 bowls and top with extra grated parmesan. Serve immediately.
Melissa
WOW is this good. It's just as delicious as a meat bolognese, if not better. We will definitely be keeping this in our regular rotation.
Christine Ma
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!