Children love them and Italian menus would be unthinkable without them. That’s probably why there are countless vegan variants of this pasta classic. Soy bolognese, seitan bolognese, lentil bolognese, walnut mushroom bolognese, . . . and the list goes on.
My recipe is a completely different version. The secret ingredient is . . .
* Drumroll * . . .
Green spelt!
If you’re now thinking “Oh no . . . that sounds way too healthy to me. I’m out.” STOP! Stay with me, please, and read on.
Above all, this vegan bolognese is damn delicious. 😊 And if the secret ingredient happens to be healthy as well, all the better, right?
- 100 g coarsely ground green spelt*
- 1 cup | 250 ml vegetable stock
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 3 garlic gloves, diced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp tomatoes paste
- 1 tsp maple syrup (optional)
- 1/2 cup | 100 ml water
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 800 g tinned peeled tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- pinch of salt, pepper, cayenne
- 500 g penne or pasta of your choice
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Roast the green spelt over medium heat without oil in a saucepan until it gets lightly colored. That takes about 5 minutes. (Keep stirring regularly so that nothing will burn.)
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Deglaze with the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Cover, get it off the heat and let it soak for at least 1 hour. **
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In a large, coated pan, heat the oil (medium heat) and sauté onion, carrots & garlic for 5 minutes. Then add the soaked green spelt and fry everything for a couple of minutes.
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Now add the tomato paste and the maple syrup to the pan and let it fry for a a minute longer. Pour in the water, the balsamic vinegar, the tomatoes and spices and let simmer for at least 20 minutes.
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In the meantime, cook your pasta al dente.
Serve your bolognese with the pasta in beautiful pasta plates and don't forget to sprinkle it generously with some nut-parmesan. Buon appetito!