When I first came to Belgium I got asked if I liked spaghetti. Like that. No other description. Coming from somewhere where spaghetti means the pasta, it was a weird question, because pasta on it’s own doesn’t have much flavor. So I asked what did they mean. And they meant spaghetti bolognese, or similar. A meaty sauce with vegetables and tomato. Skip the meat, and I’ll eat it, I said. So our veggie bolognese was born. It’s far from what an Italian would call ragú a la bolognese, so please don’t kill me. We really call it spaghetti now.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 bell peppers (red, yellow & green), finely diced
- 4 carrots, peeled and grated
- 500 gr tomato pieces (tin or brick)
- 140 gr tomato concentrate / paste (2 small tins)
- 350 gr minced quorn (or seitan or other tvp)
- 1 1/2 tbsp turmeric
- 2 tsp hot smoked paprika (sub sweet if not found of spicy, and double it)
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1/2 tbsp basil
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- salt & pepper
Instructions:
- Heat oil in a big pot. Add onion and garlic and cook on medium until golden. Add the bell pepper and cook for a few minutes, then add the carrot and stir through.
- Add the tomato pieces, the tomato concentrate and the minced quorn. Stir to combine. Add enough water to barely cover. Add turmeric, paprika, oregano, basil, soy sauce, and salt & pepper to taste.
- Bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring from time to time to make sure it doesn’t stick, for approximately 25 minutes.
- Taste, adjust seasoning, serve warm with spaghetti and grated cheese.
Makes 8 servings
Nutritional info: (only for the sauce)
Calories: 129
Protein: 9 gr
Fat: 3 gr
Carbs: 17 gr
Where I grew up, we called it “Pastasciutta”, even less precise than spaghetti. And we had no idea how it’s spelled ;)