This sauce is my go-to tomato based pasta sauce for my kids. It's a chunky tomato sauce with vegetables and protein packed tempeh. The trick is to dice the vegetables as small as you can to prevent kids from picking them out. The tempeh is crumbled into the sauce for the same reason plus this way it better resembles a traditional bolognese.
One of the main reasons I've been making this tempeh bolognese a lot is for my now 9 month old son. Wow, 9 months! I can't believe how big he has gotten! When I first started this blog he had just turned 4 months old. Now he's crawling and cruising along furniture. Oh how...wait where was I?
Right, I make this sauce a lot now because it is perfect for the entire family. If I hold off on adding salt and pepper, I can easily puree this sauce with a few whole wheat or spelt noodles for a wholesome baby meal. It's always nice if I don't have to cook two separate meals, one for #2 and one for the rest of the family. If there is any leftover sauce, I puree the rest and freeze it in an ice cube tray. This way I can defrost small portion sizes for #2 to eat on a later day.
Hubbs and #1 really enjoy this sauce and by the amount that they eat of it, I'm sure they get their vegetable and protein requirements covered.
Now let's get to it!
Tempeh Bolognese Sauce with Gnocci
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 small Yellow Onion (diced)
- 4 ounces Tempeh (crumbled)
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 small Green Bell Pepper (finely diced)
- 2 Carrots (finely diced)
- 2 cups Tomato Puree
- 3 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 teaspoon dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried Thyme
- 1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
- fresh Basil (optional)
- Salt and Pepper
- Gnocchi or Pasta of choice (4 servings)
Directions:
- Heat olive oil and ¼ teaspoon of Salt in a fry pan over med-high heat. Once hot, add diced onions, and crumbled tempeh. Saute for 3-5 minutes adding a bit more oil or water if tempeh starts to stick.
-
Once onions have become glossy and tempeh is slightly browned add bell pepper and carrots. Saute for an additional 3 minutes. Prepare pasta of choice according to package directions.
- Stir in tomato puree, tomato paste, dried herbs and red wine vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
-
Serve hot over pasta and garnish with fresh basil.
Notes: 1) Tempeh absorbs a lot of oil very quickly. Therefore feel free to add a bit more while sauteing. Alternatively you can use a bit of water. 2) I like a thick and chunky sauce. You can omit the tomato paste for a thinner sauce. 3) This sauce uses dried herbs, mainly just for convenience reasons, however if available I encourage you to always use fresh herbs.
What makes it so good?
Tempeh:
- One of the greatest plant-based sources of protein and is an excellent source of fiber (compared to tofu which has none!) See Chart below:
-
www.seasonyourhealth.com - Excellent source of Manganese, Phosphorus, Copper and great source of Iron, Niacin, and Potassium.
- low in saturated fat
| http://www.weightchart.com/nutrition/info-tempeh.aspx |
Tempeh Bolognese Sauce with Gnocchi
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Makes 4
Calories 397 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 small Yellow Onion diced
- 4 ounces Tempeh crumbled
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 small Green Bell Pepper finely diced
- 2 Carrots finely diced
- 2 cups Tomato Puree
- 3 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 teaspoon dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried Thyme
- 1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
- fresh Basil optional
- Salt and Pepper
- Gnocchi or Pasta of choice 4 servings
Instructions
-
Heat olive oil and ¼ teaspoon of Salt in a fry pan over med-high heat. Once hot, add diced onions, and crumbled tempeh. Saute for 3-5 minutes adding a bit more oil or water if tempeh starts to stick.
-
Once onions have become glossy and tempeh is slightly browned add bell pepper and carrots. Saute for an additional 3 minutes. Prepare pasta of choice according to package directions.
-
Stir in tomato puree, tomato paste, dried herbs and red wine vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
-
Serve hot over pasta and garnish with fresh basil.
Recipe Notes
1) Tempeh absorbs a lot of oil very quickly. Therefore feel free to add a bit more while sauteing. Alternatively you can use a bit of water. 2) I like a thick and chunky sauce. You can omit the tomato paste for a thinner sauce. 3) This sauce uses dried herbs, mainly just for convenience reasons, however if available I encourage you to always use fresh herbs.
Adriana says
Another great one! I'd love to have the nutrional info from this beauty too if possible :)
Vanessa Croessmann says
Thanks Adriana. Added it to the recipe :)