Brits have long embraced the classic Italian dish Spaghetti Bolognese. Substituting for vegetarian mince usually goes unnoticed by even the most committed of meat-eaters and is probably the easiest place to start when experimenting with vegetarian cuisine.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped
- 1 stick celery, trimmed and finely sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 250g mushrooms, sliced
- 125ml vegetarian red wine
- 350g frozen vegetarian mince
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 500ml low-sodium vegetable stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 240g wholewheat spaghetti
- 3 sprigs marjoram, to sprinkle (optional)
Method
- Set a large, deep-sided non-stick pan over a medium heat and add the oil.
- Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.
- Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for a further 3 minutes.
- Turn up the heat to high, add the wine and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the vegetarian mince, tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, stock, bay leaf, oregano and marjoram to the pan. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 15 minutes.
- While the Bolognese is cooking, place a large pan of water over a high heat and bring to the boil. Add the spaghetti and turn the heat down to medium. Simmer for 12 minutes until the spaghetti is tender.
- Drain the spaghetti and then take the Bolognese sauce off the heat, taking out the bay leaf. Serve the spaghetti in large bowls and top with the Bolognese sauce.
