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    Home » Pasta

    Tempeh Bolognese

    Published: Aug 27, 2021 · by Nico

    Jump to Recipe

    Tempeh bolognese is an earthy, rich, and flavorful sauce that you can make in just about 20 minutes. I am not a big fan of tempeh, but it's a flavor-packed plant-based protein when cooked this way.

    This easy tempeh recipe is perfect with spaghetti, gnocchi, lasagna, and polenta. It's a family favorite bolognese version, with loads of nutrition and umami.

    tempeh bolognese
    On this page:
    • What is tempeh?
    • What is tempeh bolognese?
    • Ingredients & Substitutions
    • Instructions
    • Serving suggestions
    • Tips
    • Variations
    • Recipe

    Check out our best pasta recipe collection!

    What is tempeh?

    rich and meaty tempeh ragu
    tempeh bolognese with gnocchi

    Tempeh, or tempe, is a traditional Indonesian, more precisely, Javanese food made with whole, fermented soybeans.

    It's very popular across Southeast Asia, where it has been used for centuries as a staple source of protein.

    The main difference between tempeh and tofu is that tempeh is made with whole soybeans that are fermented.

    louise making tempeh in Malaysia
    Louise learning how to make tempeh in Malaysia.

    This results in higher protein content, more dietary fiber, more vitamins. Tempeh is basically a vegan superfood in my opinion.

    It also reminds me of aged cheese a lot. It has a firm texture and an intense flavor that gets stronger and more pungent as it ages.

    And that is the main problem with tempeh, at least for western palates. Its flavor is quite strong, especially if you are not used to it.

    tempeh bolognese
    rich, earthy, and somehow "meaty"

    I personally never really enjoyed tempeh, at least until I learned how to cook it to please my Italian taste buds.

    So, if like me you are not a big fan of tempeh, give this recipe a chance. It's really a worthy vegan bolognese sauce and a great recipe for vegan beginners too!

    And I promise: you won't taste the tempeh much! It's just gonna be a rich, meaty, healthy, delicious sauce.

    What is tempeh bolognese?

    tempeh bolognese on bucatini pasta

    Tempeh bolognese is a tomato-based ragu that is perfect to replace the original meat-based bolognese sauce.

    It's easy to make, we fry it in a pan with some onions, carrots, celery, and tomato passata, to make an earthy meat replacement in our vegan bolognese sauce.

    It's a crowd-pleasing vegan pasta recipe, perfect with spaghetti, in lasagna, with homemade gnocchi, and even with nachos, as a dip.

    Ingredients & Substitutions

    • Tempeh: we use it as our meat replacement for this vegan bolognese
    • Tomato passata: we use a smooth one, from a bottle.
    • Onion, carrot, celery: the building blocks to make a tasty sauce. Try to put all of them, as they have loads of flavor.
    • Olive Oil: to get everything started and build a flavor base.
    • Red wine: it adds acidity, which gives the sauce a flavor boost. You could replace it with vegetable stock.
    • Soy sauce: for saltiness and umami. It really works well to enhance both the tomato and the tempeh. You can replace it with tamari for gluten-free.
    • Salt and pepper
    • Basil: this is optional, but I always add some fresh basil leaves once the sauce is cooked.

    Instructions

    Start this sauce with a "soffritto" to build a strong flavor base. That is, finely chop onion, celery, and carrot and add them to a pan with olive oil.

    I like to use a food processor to do that.

    onion, carrot and celery in food processor
    processed onion, carrot and celery
    processed onion, carrot and celery

    Fry them gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, till they get soft. This step really helps boost the flavor of the sauce.

    soffritto

    Now add the tempeh. Crumble it with your hands while you add it to the pan. Then stir, and let it fry for a minute or two with the vegetables.

    crumbled tempeh in the pan

    When the pan is hot, add the red wine. Careful as it will splash a bit. Stir with a wooden spoon and let the wine evaporate. The acidity of the wine adds a great amount of flavor.

    When the wine is gone, add the tomato passata, the soy sauce, two pinches of salt, and some pepper.

    tomato passata with the tempeh

    Stir and let simmer on medium to low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, taste, and adjust for salt if necessary.

    Then turn off the heat and add some fresh basil if you like, although this is optional.

    tempeh bolognese

    Serving suggestions

    Serve the tempeh bolognese with anything you would normally serve regular bolognese with. Spaghetti, lasagna, polenta, farinata or homemade gnocchi.

    homemade gnocchi with tempeh bolognese
    homemade gnocchi with tempeh bolognese

    Tips

    • Make the soffritto: starting this sauce with chopped onion, celery, and carrot and frying it in oil for a few minutes makes all the difference. This technique is used all the time in Italian cooking.
    • Soy sauce for a boost: since there is no meat, we need something that salty, umami flavor to the bolognese. And that's the soy sauce.
    • Don't add water: or at least try not to. With this sauce, we are trying to recreate a rich, intense, meaty flavor. If you add water (for instance to rinse the passata bottle) you'll need more time to cook the sauce.
    tempeh bolognese on rice

    Variations

    If you enjoy vegan bolognese and rich tomato sauce, check out our favorite variations here:

    • Mushroom bolognese: This variation of vegan bolognese is a rich and tasty mushroom-based sauce that goes perfectly with spaghetti, tagliatelle, on top of polenta, or in vegan lasagna. 
    • Lentil bolognese: pairs well with any pasta type. We even use this sauce to put on top of tacos, inside tortilla wraps, or as a topping on roasted veggies.
    • Tofu bolognese: rich, earthy, and satiating. Our tofu pasta is an easy dinner and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
    • Tofu meatballs: technically not bolognese, but it's a worthy variation with its umami-packed marinara sauce.
    • Tofu in pizzaiola sauce: a perfect lazy vegan meal as its ready in 12 minutes and made with staple ingredients
    • Tomato basil pasta: if you love tomato sauce, start here. This basil pomodoro sauce is perfect for vegan beginners who want an aromatic and satiating meal.

    What is your favorite version of vegan bolognese? Let us know in the comments below, we'd love to hear from you!

    For many more pasta ideas, check out our pasta category page.

    Recipe

    tempeh bolognese on bucatini pasta

    Tempeh Bolognese

    Author: Nico
    Tempeh bolognese is an earthy, rich, and flavorful sauce that you can make in just about 20 minutes. I am not a big fan of tempeh, but I LOVE it cooked this way.
    This easy tempeh recipe is perfect with spaghetti, gnocchi, lasagna, and polenta. It's a family favorite bolognese sauce, and I am sure you'll love it too.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe
    5 from 4 votes
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course Dressing & Sauces
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 6 people
    Calories 143 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 24 ounces tomato passata or canned tomatoes
    • 3 ounces tempeh
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 onion
    • 1 carrot
    • 1 stalk celery
    • ½ cup red wine
    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ⅓ teaspoon pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Finely chop the onion, carrot and celery. You can use a food processor to speed things up.
      To a pan, add 2 tablespoon of olive oil, then on low heat, fry the chopped onion, celery and carrot till soft.
      soffritto
    • Now add the tempeh, crumbling it with your hands. Fry it with the veggies for about 1 minute.
      crumbled tempeh
    • Add the red wine. If you prefer, you can replace the wine with vegetable stock.
      adding red wine to the sauce
    • When the wine has completely evaporated, add the tomato passata, salt, pepper, soy sauce and let simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
      adding tomato passata
    • You should have a thick and rich tomato sauce to use on pasta, gnocchi, lasagne, and other preparations. Finish with some fresh basil if you like.
      tempeh bolognese

    Notes

    This tempeh bolognese sauce is perfect with our homemade vegan gnocchi.

    Nutritional Values

    Nutrition Facts
    Tempeh Bolognese
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 143 Calories from Fat 54
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 6g9%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 4g
    Potassium 680mg19%
    Carbohydrates 15g5%
    Dietary Fiber 3g13%
    Sugar 7g8%
    Protein 5g10%
    Vitamin A 2325IU47%
    Vitamin B6 1mg50%
    Vitamin C 15mg18%
    Vitamin E 3mg20%
    Vitamin K 10µg10%
    Calcium 49mg5%
    Folate 25µg6%
    Iron 3mg17%
    Manganese 1mg50%
    Magnesium 46mg12%
    Zinc 1mg7%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you like this recipe?We are not much on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Leave us a comment below instead, it would mean the world to us 🙂

    If you liked this recipe, you might also like:

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alexia

      October 18, 2021 at 6:40 pm

      5 stars
      Tried this recipe and I can definitely say it was amazing! My friends loved it too. I have a question, how long do leftovers last in the fridge?

      Reply
      • Nico

        October 25, 2021 at 10:48 am

        Thank you Alexia, I’m delighted that you like the recipe. The sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days- and I highly recommend heating it on a pan before eating 🙂

        Reply

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