Veggie Bolognese
A friend tried this recipe when I took it into work for lunch and asked if she could have it. I wrote it down on a scrap piece of paper which has been photographed and then passed on to lots of different people from all different friendship groups. It’s nothing overly creative, just a humble veggie bolognese but it’s the recipe that made me realise how good it felt to share my food and ideas with others. It makes a huge batch so it’s perfect for freezing. I like to eat it with pasta and lots of parm but it’s also nice on polenta or even with rice.
Serves 8 | 2.5 hours
1 small head of cauliflower, cut into florets
400g mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 brown onion, cut into quarters
6 garlic cloves, bruised
125ml olive oil
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp miso paste
2 tsp smoked paprika
700g passata
1C red wine
A handful of fresh herbs, finely chopped (rosemary, thyme, basil, parsley, oregano, sage)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ C Parmesan, grated
Place cauliflower, celery, carrots, onion and garlic into a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped.
Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and once hot, add all of the veggies.
Saute for at least 15 mins over medium-low heat. You don’t want to colour the veggies, just soften them.
Add tomato paste, miso paste and smoked paprika and stir through.
Add tomatoes, wine, herbs and balsamic vinegar and bring to boil before turning the stove low to a simmer.
Season with salt and pepper and simmer for around 2 hours.
Add parmesan and serve on pasta or creamy polenta.
NOTES: You could put all veggies into the food processor or hand chop them all, it will just alter the texture of your bolognese. I find a mix of both makes the best consistency. Perfect for throwing in the freezer if you’ve got leftovers.
