Veggie Pappardelle Bolognese

This lovely Friday marks what would have been my grandma’s 80th birthday.

Before last month, I had never lost a person I was really close with. On one hand, I feel blessed to have lived nearly 27 years before experiencing the loss of a person that was so dear to my heart. I’m grateful that when I did lose a person so important to my life, it was one who had led a pretty long, happy life.

With my sister, mom, grandma, cousin, and aunt years ago

But on the other hand, it still hasn’t been easy by any stretch. As anyone whose lost someone close to them can probably relate, I think it may be the worst feeling in the world to have this aching that can never be satisfied, a hole in your heart because someone you loved has passed away. You wish you could talk to them and just hear their voice again.

My grandma on her wedding day 58 years ago

I look for signs of her everywhere, and I try to fill that gap I feel by remembering all of her unique quirks and sayings, and all of our funny conversations and memories over the years. One thing I recently thought of was her comments about my being a vegetarian in the first several years of me nixing meat from my diet. She, an avid cook who showed her love with food, would say to me, “How are you going to find a boyfriend if you don’t eat meat? What would you cook for him? What will you eat on dinner dates, a salad?”

What can I say, as progressive as my grandma was in some ways, she was traditional in others. And her Italian ancestry and Brooklyn –> New Jersey roots dictated diet to include animal meat. I think it might have been said out of genuine concern… or perhaps frustration at my refusing her chicken cacciatore.  The funny thing about it is that I went on to become (as you all know) a food lover and passionate meal creator, and found a guy who loves my cooking, despite the fact that not one meal has contained meat.

After I created this blog, my grandma would often call me to discuss my recipe posts. She would talk about how everything looked delicious, and gush about how talented she thought I was, as only a grandma does. One time, I brought up her pestering me about my vegetarianism and asked her what she thought now.

She laughed her classic little chuckle and said, “I was wrong. You found a great guy and your food always looks so delicious!”

With my parents and grandma at my college graduation

And so, I thought it’d be nice to post a recipe today that reminds me of her. My grandma loved bolognese sauce. That would often be her choice when we dined out at Italian restaurants, and so it seems fitting to post a Foodie Loves Fitness veggie version of the Italian classic.

I used Lightlife veggie protein crumbles as the “meat” in the bolognese sauce, and I picked up egg pappardelle pasta at Trader Joe’s for the dish. I’m not a big egg eater and I never eat them on their own, but once in awhile I enjoy something that contains eggs, like a quiche or these egg noodles.

The calories per serving is a bit higher than I typically like for dinner (650 cal), but whew, this dish packs quite the protein (47 g!) and fiber (18 g!) punch while being low in fat (7 g per serving) and providing lots of yummy carbs.

Veggie Pasta Bolognese

Foodie Loves Fitness

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings 6

Calories 650 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 16 oz dry pappardelle pasta or other long shaped pasta
• 1-28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1-6 oz can tomato paste
• 12 oz veggie "meat" crumbles
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 zucchini
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 large carrot
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 6 sprigs of fresh basil
• 6 sprigs of fresh parsley
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Grated Pecorino Romano to serve optional

Instructions

 

• Chop the zucchini and celery, grate the carrot, and mince the onion and garlic.
• Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium low heat, and cook the garlic and onion until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add the zucchini, celery, and carrot, and cook until slightly tender.
• Meanwhile, roughly chop the parsley and basil.
• Add the cans of crushed tomato and tomato paste to the pan. Add in the herbs, and season with salt and pepper. Stir well to combine, and cook for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to directions.
• Pour the red wine into the tomato sauce pan, and crumble the veggie "meat" into the mix. Mix together well, and cook for 5 minutes.
• Drain the pasta once it's done cooking. Return to pan. Pour the bolognese sauce on top of pasta, and toss together well.
• Optional: Serve the pasta with Pecorino Romano cheese sprinkled on top. To keep it vegan: Leave the cheese off or add vegan cheese or nutritional yeast.

Nutrition

Calories: 650kcalCarbohydrates: 91gProtein: 47gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 0.5gFiber: 18gSugar: 13g

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!