Tofu Bolognese Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free, High Protein)

This vegan tofu bolognese recipe is packed with flavor! With aromatic garlic, basil, & white wine you won’t miss the meat in this hearty pasta sauce. Serve with garlic bread, salad, and a glass of vino… and you have a restaurant-quality dinner ready at home!

We love love LOVE homemade bolognese sauce! I make a huge batch about once a month, normally following my signature 5 ingredient marinara sauce recipe. But this time I decided to kick it up a notch and add tofu for a fun protein-packed twist. And let me tell you… we have a WINNING recipe right here.

This Pantry Staple Vegan Tofu Bolognese Sauce Is:

• Hearty
• Satisfying
• Bright
• Herby
• Loaded with flavor
• High protein
• Low sodium
• Vegan, gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian

Bolognese with Tofu Instead of Ground Beef

Tofu is a high-protein plant based alternative to ground beef. A lot of companies make “fake meat” ground beef, which admittedly are yummy, but are loaded with sodium and flavored chemicals. I like to use tofu instead because it’s made from soy beans, and I can add any spices, seasonings, or salt myself. I love using tofu in all kinds of dishes: my tofu cream cheese for breakfast, crispy tahini tofu wraps for lunch,  and yummy Hawaiian BBQ Tofu Bowls for dinner!

So What’s In This Bolognese with Tofu Sauce Recipe:

• Tofu – I have been LOVING this shelf-stable tofu from Amazon. I literally have 3 cases of them in my pantry as we speak. They are an inexpensive and healthy way to get some plant protein in. The texture of this extra firm silken tofu is perfect for this bolognese, no pressing required!  I used an extra firm silken tofu for this recipe, but you can use a non-silken version too – try it with any tofu you have on hand.
• Diced Tomatoes:  I only use no salt added diced tomatoes, these boxed tomatoes are really great to stock up on!  I like boxed tomatoes better because they are BPA free and more eco-friendly than aluminum cans.
• Onions
• Olive Oil: I like to use this fruity Zoe olive oil which has a fantastic flavor and deep color- it’s really inexpensive online here, so I keep a few liters stocked up in my pantry.  For the quality of oil you get, it’s an excellent value, I would highly recommend!
• Garlic: I use fresh garlic when I have it, and this great jarred organic garlic when I don’t have fresh. It’s actually super convenient to have pre-chopped garlic on hand for quick and easy meal prep.
• Basil
• Italian Seasoning Blend: usually has thyme, basil, rosemary, parsley, etc. I love this bright and flavorful Italian season mix which brings this amazing dish to life.
• Tellicherry Black Pepper: Like the salt, it’s amazing the flavor difference you can get with really good tellicherry black pepper.  This pepper is the same price is buying pre-ground, and has a million times more flavor!  I use these really great tellicherry peppercorns, which I would definitely recommend. 

This sauce is great over spaghetti or rigatoni with a side of garlic bread. You can also use this sauce in a lasagna instead of normal tomato sauce, or in a Tuscan white bean and kale soup. Any recipe that calls for tomato sauce can use this awesome delish plant based bolognese sauce instead.

How Do I Make This Vegan Tofu Bolognese Sauce Recipe?

1. In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over low heat. Add the garlic and onion, and saute on low from 7 or 8 minutes until the veggies begin to soften.
2. Crumble the tofu: you can do this either by placing the tofu in a bowl and mashing it with a fork, or you can just use your hands! Both methods fine, just make sure to crumble the tofu down to the texture you want for your sauce.
3. Add the tofu, canned tomatoes and the juice, italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to Dutch oven and reduce on low heat for 30 minutes until sauce begins to thicken.
4. Top off the sauce with fresh basil, and stir. Toss sauce with pasta of choice!

One of the BEST Pantry Staple Bolognese Recipes

This vegan tofu pasta bolognese recipe is a fantastic pantry-staple meal!  It uses almost all ingredients you would have in your dry pantry or cupboards.  You probably already have a lot of these ingredients on hand already. Keeping a well-stocked pantry makes it easy to come up with delicious and healthy meals using a few staples you can rotate.  I made a list of my Top 125 Plant-Based Pantry Staples that always keep on hand. And you can check out all my favorite pantry staple recipes on TheHerbeevore.com here.  By stocking up on healthy whole ingredients you can cook delicious recipes without a trip to the store!

Serve This Protein Tofu Pasta Bolognese Sauce With:

Easy Vegan Tofu Lasagna (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, High Protein)

The Best Italian TVP Meatballs (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan)

Garlic Lover’s Baked Garlic Bread (Vegan, Gluten Free Option)

Cheese-y Eggplant Bake (Keto, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian)

Sheet Pan Pasta Bake with Mozzarella and Lemon (Vegetarian)

Get the Same Ingredients I Use In My TVP High Protein Vegan Bolognese Sauce Recipe:

As always, if you make this vegan tofu bolognese sauce be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe, and tag me @theherbeevore on Instagram so I can feature you.  I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

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