Spaghetti bolognese is one of our favourite family meals. My mother-in-law Jean gave me this recipe over 20 years ago. This is the same basic recipe with a few tweaks and made in a big batch.
The original recipe used dried soya mince, but I use frozen veggie mince which I buy from my local supermarket. Dried soya mince was all you could buy in the early 90s and you could only buy it from a health shop. Yes, times have moved on thankfully.
This bolognese is super tasty and full of vegetables to help with your five-a-day. It's packed with onion, garlic, carrots and mushrooms and has a rich flavour thanks to lots of red wine. The red wine gives it a wonderful depth of flavour, but don't worry the alcohol is burned off during cooking.
Batch cooking is a great way to serve up healthy and substantial meals midweek, when you arrive home late feeling tired and not in the mood to cook. Yes, I have those nights too. Way too often!
It doesn't take much longer to make a bigger portion than usual and it's really worth the effort. As well as bolognese fill up your freezer with batches of chilli, soup and stews.
I store my batch dishes in the clear, flat rectangular tubs Chinese takeaways often use. The ones that are microwave and freezer safe. They stack well in the freezer and they're not expensive. Your local supermarket will probably sell them.
Pick up some sticky labels too so you can mark the bottom of each container with the date and name of the dish. Believe me chilli and bolognese look very similar when frozen. I have learned this to my horror. Chilli is not good on spaghetti. Been there, done that (many years ago) and just about lived to tell the tale. It was so wrong! UGH!
I hope you will try my family bolognese! As you can see below, it is super healthy.
related - Leftover Bolognaise Quesadillas
Nutritional Value
- low in saturated fat
- high in dietary fibre
- high in fibre
- very high in vitamin A
- very high in vitamin B6
- very high in vitamin c
Calories
- 10 individual servings = 174 calories
- 75g spaghetti = 118 calories
- 1 tbsp grated vegan parmesan = 14 calories
Each serving of spaghetti with bolognese and parmesan = 306 calories
also try - Bolognese Potato Bake or Leftover Bolognese Sausage Rolls
Vegan Bolognese for Spaghetti
A rich bolognese sauce for pasta, filled with lots of veggies to help with your five-a-day and enriched with red wine. Make a big batch, eat some and freeze the rest for anther night or two. Serve over freshly cooked spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4 medium carrots, diced
- 300g mushrooms, chopped
- 500g frozen vegetarian (or meat-free) mince
- 1 large glass/250ml red wine
- 500ml vegetable stock (3 stock cubes)
- 4 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 100g tomato puree
- a good grinding of salt and pepper
Instructions
1. In a large pan, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft.
2. Add the carrots and let them cook gently for a few minutes before adding the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are soft then stir in the veggie mince.
3. Pour in the stock, tomatoes, tomato puree and wine. Stir well and cook gently for half an hour or so.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve with freshly cooked spaghetti and enjoy
6. Once the remaining bolognese is cool, box it up, label it and pop it in the freezer.
2. Add the carrots and let them cook gently for a few minutes before adding the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are soft then stir in the veggie mince.
3. Pour in the stock, tomatoes, tomato puree and wine. Stir well and cook gently for half an hour or so.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve with freshly cooked spaghetti and enjoy
6. Once the remaining bolognese is cool, box it up, label it and pop it in the freezer.
Details
Yield: Makes 8-10 portions
Here are more vegan batch recipes for you to try
Oh, thanks for this; we still have a big tin of soy mince dried in an airtight can, and I was just thinking that I ought to figure out something to do with it. This is perfect - and a good excuse to cook with wine is always a lovely pasta sauce! I think I'll add green olives to mine, and mimic puttanesca. Yum.
ReplyDeleteOh excellent and yes olives would be good too.
DeleteThat looks so good. I adore bolognese. Your recipe sounds lovely and very similar to my mums too.
ReplyDeleteMust be good then ;)
DeleteLove the look of this, the flavours look really rich and it's much like the one we do, albeit ours is not veggie. Bolognese is so good for batch cooking isn't it, as the long slow cooking of a large batch really lets the flavours develop!
ReplyDeleteYes and it tastes even better the next day. SO much flavour!
DeleteI see that the news this week is that we should be eating 10 a day! This would definitely help. Great way to sneak in more veg for kids too.
ReplyDeleteI know, that's going to take some work! Meals like this do help. I may add red pepper next time for even more veg.
DeleteBolognese was mostly definitely a staple in my house growing up. Which reminds me I should definitely make it more often! I sometimes do a lentil one for a vegetarian one too. Looks great and love the idea of cooking in bulk.
ReplyDeleteLentil bolognaise is good too. It's such a satisfying and comforting dish.
DeleteYour bolognese looks delicious, I cook in bulk every weekend to see us through the week and often a portion for the freezer too. My freezer is stuffed full, so labels and dates are vital!
ReplyDeleteThanks Janice. I think I may need a bigger freezer.
DeleteLooks so hearty and delicious! I wish I had more room in my freezer to store stuff! I can barely close it half the time! I might need to invest in a stand alone freezer!
ReplyDeleteMe too, mine is small and always full. I can basically get two flat takeaway tubs in at the moment.
DeleteThis looks so rich and delicious and red wine makes such a difference. I'm rubbish at batch cooking as I never have room in the freezer, but I do usually cook enough for the next day. Luckily neither of us are bothered by eating the same thing two days running. Flipped, stumbled, yummed & pinned.
ReplyDeleteI think most of us have that problem with the freezer choclete. Thanks for sharing.
DeleteI love comfort food and this vegan spaghetti looks amazing! I always freeze dishes like this too.
ReplyDeleteThanks and yes it is useful to freeze recipes for midweek.
DeleteIt must be delicious. I used to love that dried soya mince, that I used to soak in water with lots of spices. Now I buy the one from the supermarket too.
ReplyDeleteIt has more flavour I think and very convenient.
DeleteI don't drink wine, or have it in the house, so should I put the same amount of extra stock or would a red wine stock pot suffice or do I just leave the wine out please.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry, I just saw your message. You could leave it out or add a tablespoon ot two of balsamic vibegar for a rich flavpur.
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