Pasta is ALWAYS a good idea and one of my favorites is Bolognese sauce. I’ve made this recipe using a variety of meat substitutes – mushrooms, soy chunks, lentils, and beefless beef, but soy curls is definitely at the top of my list. SOOO good and the texture was spot on. This is the easiest sauce to put together, with minimal ingredients.. and it’s perfect for all diets!
My Spaghetti with Meat Sauce is one of our family favorites for many years. Inspired by my father’s recipe, this spaghetti is filled with flavor and just the right amount of spice.
There are certain recipes and dishes that I hold very close to my heart because of all the sweet memories attached to them, this is one of them.
For as long as I can remember, Spaghetti Tuesdays has been a tradition in my family. Every Tuesday night my dad would cook dinner and he always made his signature dish, Spaghetti with Meat Sauce. Since I was a kid and up until our last spaghetti dinner before I got married, I was dad’s little helper. I would chop up all the vegetables and peel the garlic, but making the sauce was all him; he wouldn’t let anybody touch his sauce, it had to be perfect!
It was always fun helping Dad with spaghetti Tuesdays because it always felt like a mini party. He’d open up a bottle of wine (to feel even more Italian hehe), we’d blast our favorite Jazz OR old Bollywood songs, and dad would be singing loud enough to get everyone’s attention. It’s one of my fondest memory since I was young.
On Tuesdays, we have spaghetti.
My dad makes his spaghetti extra oily and extremely spicy (and with meat), so I took his signature dish and Veganized it (and made it oil free)…and it tastes SO. DAMN. GOOD! For my meat substitute, I decided to go with soy curls..because they are seriously my favorite meat sub at the moment – they go perfect with EVERYTHING!
How do you cook soy curls?
Soy curls come dehydrated, so you’re going to have rehydrate them before you use them. Take your soy curls and pour boiling water over it, let them soak for at least 10 minutes. You’ll notice the soy curls starting to expand and plump up. After 10 minutes, drain the soy curls and rinse in cold water.
Before you can cook the soy curls you have to remove all the excess moisture. Take some of the soy curls in your hands and squeeze out all the moisture, then transfer to a clean bowl. We then will add them to a food processor and ground them up to create our ‘ground beef’ texture.
Where can I find soy curls?
Soy curls are AMAZING, but a bit hard to find locally. My favorite brand is Butler soy curls; I typically buy mine on Amazon (for fastest delivery), but you can also buy them directly from their website.
I will have to say, once you use soy curls you won’t want to use ANY other plant based protein – it’s THAT good!
Other pasta recipes you’ll LOVE
Vegan Creamy Cajun Pasta
Vegan Lasagna Rollups
Creamy Vegan Mac & Cheese
Vegan Baked Ziti
Vegan Baked Tofu Parmesan
Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo
Vegan Soy Curls Bolognese Sauce
Description
Ingredients
- 2 24 oz jars of pasta sauce
- 1.5 cups soy curls - rehydrated
- 1 onion - finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno - finely chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic - chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1-1.5 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1.5-2 tsp paprika
- Veggie broth/water to sauté
- Gluten free pasta of choice
Ingredients
Instructions
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Start by making your pasta according to package instructions.
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Transfer your rehydrated soy curls to a food processor and pulse until it reaches a ground texture. We don’t want it completely smooth/blended out - just ground up. Set aside.
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In a sauté pan, add onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes, I used a little bit of veggie broth to help sauté the onions without them sticking or burning to the pan.
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Add in chopped up jalapeños and garlic and sauté for 4-5 minutes until veggies are cooked through and onions are golden (use water/broth as needed).
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Add in the ground up soy curls, salt, paprika, and Italian seasoning. Mix well until completely incorporated. Add in the pasta sauce and mix well - let simmer for 15-20 minutes on medium low heat.
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Serve hot over pasta and enjoy.
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