What is bolognese sauce?

Bolognese is a thick, meaty pasta sauce typically made with tomatoes, ground beef or pork, wine, herbs, milk, and Parmesan cheese. In this recipe, the walnuts and quinoa replace the ground meat but the rest of the ingredients remain quite similar to traditional bolognese sauce.

Why do you add milk to bolognese sauce?

This is a bit of a hot button issue among bolognese lovers across the world because some swear by making bolognese with milk, with others prefer it without. The whole milk adds a rich creaminess to this sauce that I really love. It also combines with the Parmesan cheese to take this sauce to the next level.

What is the difference between bolognese sauce and spaghetti sauce?

Bolognese is typically a thicker and meatier sauce than a traditional spaghetti sauce. Spaghetti sauce usually has a looser texture, is made with mainly tomatoes, and doesn't always have meat in it. Spaghetti sauce goes well with thinner cuts of pasta like spaghetti while bolognese goes well with wider cuts of pasta like pappardelle or lasagna, but it will be delicious with whatever pasta you have on hand!

Easy Vegetarian Bolognese

Vegetarian Bolognese

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5 from 13 reviews

You won’t even miss the meat in this easy vegetarian bolognese sauce! This meatless meal has all the traditional flavors you’d expect from a classic bolognese, but it’s loaded with veggies, walnuts, and quinoa!

Author: Kylie
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 10 servings 1x
Category: Main Dish
Method: Stove Top
Cuisine: Italian/American
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped carrots
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup red wine
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
28 oz. can whole San Marzano tomatoes
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese + more for garnish
1 cup toasted, finely chopped walnuts
1/3 cup uncooked tri-color quinoa
Kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
Parmesan rind (optional)

Serve with:

al dente spaghetti noodles
fresh chopped parsley
grated Parmesan

Instructions

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
Add onion, celery, and carrots along with a large pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.
Add garlic, thyme, rosemary, and oregano and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Add red wine and deglaze the pot, scraping all the yummy bits off the bottom.
Add crushed tomatoes to the pot.
Then add whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as you add them.
Add whole milk, Parmesan, walnuts, and uncooked quinoa along with a couple large pinches of salt and pepper.
Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add Parmesan rind.
Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
Serve with spaghetti noodles and garnish with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.

measuring cup

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Notes

If you’re short on time, check and see if your grocery store has already chopped mirepoix! You’ll need about three cups total of onion, celery, and carrot. This is a huge time saver and one you should definitely take advantage of when you can!

To make this sauce vegan, just replace the whole milk with your favorite plant-based milk (canned coconut milk would be GREAT in this recipe) and replace the Parmesan with nutritional yeast. Those simple swaps will make this bolognese free of animal products!

Don’t simmer the sauce for longer than 30 minutes. A 30-minute simmer gives the uncooked quinoa just enough time to cook through and create the perfect bolognese texture in combination with the walnuts. If you simmer for longer, you’ll risk overcooking the quinoa, resulting in a mushy texture and a less than desirable flavor.

To reheat the vegetarian bolognese, just add it to a saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently just until warmed through. This quick re-heat on the stove isn’t going to compromise the texture of the quinoa but cooking it for any longer likely could.

This vegetarian bolognese also freezes well! Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container. Place in the freezer where it will stay good for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to eat, either heat from frozen in a saucepan over medium heat. Or allow the sauce to thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat the same way.

Vegetarian Bolognese

Ingredients

Instructions

Equipment

Notes