Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese (with TVP and fresh tomatoes)

Something I put together yesterday. I had some TVP and a load of tomatoes from my garden which sounds like Bolognese sauce 🙂

TVP:

The TVP prep is key here; I'm using this method for it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJPdlCx07G0
Skip to the second half of the video for the actual method; In short – wash it and squeeze liquid out until it runs clear. Once that's done, give it one last really strong squeeze, season it and let it rest in the fridge for a bit (overnight is ideal).

I used a mix of pea protein and soy TVP, around 320 grams of it in total. Seasoning for the TVP:

• Beef seasoning – 1 tbsp
• Nutritional yeast – 1 tbsp
• Apple cider vinegar – 1 tsp
• Sunflower oil – 2 tsp
• MSG – 1 tsp
• Soy sauce – 1/2 cup

Mix together really well, "kneading" it as you would knead dough is encouraged, seems to make the liquids distribute evenly.

Pasta:

Any kind will do – just make sure not to overcook it.

Sauce:

Heat up a pan with some oil, chop 1 1/2 onions (not too fine), fry until fragrant. Chop up some tomatoes, not too fine. I used mixed cherry tomatoes (about 350 grams,m you can use more or less depending on how runny you want the sauce), and just halved them.

Add TVP to the onions, stir occasionally, but let them it a bit. Deglaze with a bit of red wine (or red wine vinegar). Let the wine evaporate, add the tomatoes. Turn heat down, let them simmer and feel free to squish them as necessary. Once you're happy with the density of the sauce, chop up some basil (or any other herbs you might have lying around), mix them in. Finally, mix your pasta with the sauce, let it cool down a bit, garnish with some more herbs and serve.