Meatless Soy & Tomato Bolognese with Macaroni Pasta

I absolutely love recipes with granulated soy, and this one is no exception! The flavor is just incredible once it’s properly cooked and seasoned, and the whole thing comes together into such a wholesome, satisfying meal. If you’ve never cooked with granulated soy before, this is the perfect recipe to start with, trust me, you won’t regret it!

As you can see this is a variation of a classic meat bolognese sauce, where we swap out the ground meat for dehydrated granulated soy, because honestly, the rest of the ingredients are pretty much the same traditional tomato base sauce that we all know and love. And let me tell you, the end result is pretty good! Sure, it doesn’t taste exactly like ground meat, but it has this amazing meaty texture and a nice tomatoey flavor that’s packed with umami. For my taste buds, it always comes out feeling like a lighter, less heavy version of bolognese, and that’s something I really appreciate. You should definitely give it a try!

The secret to making this dish shine is all in the preparation of the soy, so don’t skip that hydration step! Letting it soak with all those seasonings makes a world of difference, the flavors really get absorbed and the texture becomes so much better. Pair that with a good tomato sauce and some fresh cilantro, and you’ve got yourself a meal that even the most devoted meat lovers will… ok ok might enjoy. ;D Let’s check the recipe!

Meatless Soy & Tomato Bolognese with Macaroni Pasta

Servings: 4
Time: 1hr
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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Gotta love me a pretty... almost vegetarian bolognese dish, super easy to make and a great variation to the same old ... boring... meat bolognese dish heheheh.

Ingredients

Granulated Soybeans – 200g
Macaroni Pasta – 250g
Tomatoes – 400g (+/- 1 can of peeled tomatoes)
Carrot – 1
Onion – 1 large onion
Garlic – 4 cloves
Coriander – To taste
Olive Oil – A drizzle
Worcestershire Sauce – A drizzle
Paprika – A pinch
Butter – A pinch
Pepper – A pinch
Salt – A pinch

Directions

First, hydrate the granulated soy for at least 2 hours before cooking. Place the soy in a bowl, season with a pinch of paprika, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce, cover with boiling water, and seal the bowl with cling film. Let it cool and then refrigerate for about 2 hours, or better yet, overnight.

When it’s time to cook, cook the pasta in a pot with plenty of hot water and a pinch of salt until very soft, then drain and set aside.
For the soy bolognese, start by sautéing the onion, garlic, and chopped carrot in a wide frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Sauté until the onion is golden brown.
Then add the soy to the pan and let it cook for about 10 minutes, releasing some of its water.

Now add the tomatoes, crush them well, cover and let it cook for about 15 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt, pepper and paprika until tender and to your liking.
When it’s to your liking, mix in the pasta, sprinkle with a little cilantro and it’s ready to serve. Enjoy!

Notes & Tips: The longer you let the soy hydrate, the better the texture and flavor will be. Overnight is always the best option if you have the time, so plan ahead when you can.

Don’t skip the Worcestershire sauce (or soy sauce) during the hydration step. It adds a deep, savory umami kick that really makes a difference in the final flavor of the soy.

If you want more heat, feel free to add a little extra paprika, some cayenne pepper or even a pinch of chili flakes to the sauce while it’s simmering.

You can use any pasta shape you like for this recipe. Penne, spaghetti, or fusilli all work great, so go with whatever you have on hand.

Fresh cilantro at the end really brightens up the whole dish, but if cilantro isn’t your thing, fresh parsley works just as well.

This recipe for Meatless Soy & Tomato Bolognese with Macaroni Pasta was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Macarrão de Molho de Tomate com Soja foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.