Easy Quorn Bolognese
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This Quorn bolognese recipe is a perfect comforting meat-free dinner, packed with so many hidden veggies. You can whip this recipe up in around 45 minutes, with only around 10 minutes of active cooking time. So it’s perfect to enjoy mid-week after a day of work/studying!
Why this recipe works
For this easy Quorn bolognese recipe, with the ingredients and flavour combinations, you won’t be missing the traditional pork/beef mince bolognese over this Quorn bolognese!
I’ve added diced aubergine in combination with the classic ‘soffritto’ (the mix of onion, carrot and celery) that you find in any standard bolognese recipe to add volume and nutrients.
Here are some other Quorn recipes for you to try after this one: Mexican Quorn Salad, Tex Mex Dinner Bowls and Loaded Vegetarian Nacho Bowls
Ingredients
White Onion, Celery and Carrot
Of course this bolognese recipe starts with the classic soffrito mix. Be sure to finely dice these (especially the carrots as they take the longest to cook). If you only have red onion feel free to substitute in place of the white onion.
Aubergine
This may seem like a random addition to the recipe, but I feel that it adds an extra meaty layer to the flavour profile, giving this Quorn bolognese well-rounded flavour. Mushrooms would also work well as
Quorn
An amazing substitute to the classic pork/beef/lamb used in traditional bolognese recipes. Perfect for meat-free mondays!
Plum Tomatoes
I find plum tomatoes to be more flavourful than chopped, but feel free to use chopped tomatoes or passata here.
Rigatoni
You may have expected this recipe to be a quorn spag bol dish, but I think rigatoni is the best pasta shape to serve with any red/rich sauce.
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.
How to make this recipe
- Prepare the chopped carrot, aubergine and celery (Image 1).
- Add the olive oil and onion to saute in a large saucepan over a medium/low heat for around 3 minutes and add a generous pinch of salt and pepper (Image 2).
3. Add the chopped carrot, aubergine and celery to the pan and continue to fry for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper (Image 3).
4. When the carrot begins to soften and the aubergine starts to reduce in size, add the tomato puree, garlic, fresh thyme and mixed herbs (Image 4).
5. Fry for a couple of minutes before adding the plum tomatoes, stock and Quorn mince. Stir to combine and cover with a lid (Image 5).
6. Leave to simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, cook the pasta to two minutes shy of the packet time (Image 6).
7. Once the pasta is cooked and drained, add the cooked rigatoni into the bolognese with a splash of pasta water and continue to cook until al dente (Image 7).
8. Serve with an optional serving of vegetarian grated parmesan and enjoy! (Image 8).
Is Quorn healthy?
Many people state that Quorn is a great plant-based protein, as it is ‘complete’, meaning quorn supplies all 9 essential amino acids. It’s also said to be a great source of fibre, which means it’ll keep you fuller for longer.
Here are some other meat free bolognese recipes for you to try; Lentil bolognese and Low Carb, Vegetarian, Bolognese Meal Prep
Tips and Tricks
- Add the tomato puree to add depth of flavour, with the garlic, fresh thyme to make the delicious sauce. This allows the flavours to blend together and stir occasionally to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking.
- Cook the Quorn mince from frozen for best results.
- If the sauce becomes too thick, you can add a little water or vegetable stock to thin it out. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning as needed, adding more herbs, salt, or pepper to suit your taste.
- I used rigatoni pasta, but you can choose your favourite pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente.
Recipe FAQS
You can either reheat a serving of bolognese in the microwave on high for 2.5 minutes with a splash (tbsp) of water. Or reheat on a low-medium heat on the hob (also with a splash of water) until piping hot.
You can store it in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Yes, this recipe freezes really well, which makes it perfect for meal prep!
Other tasty pasta recipes for you to try; Creamy Gochujang Pasta, Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta and Healthy Tortellini Pasta Salad
If you tried this Easy Quorn Bolognese recipe, it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Easy Quorn Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1 onion, finely diced (£0.09)
- 1 aubergine, chopped into small cubes (£0.69)
- 1 carrot, finely diced (£0.09)
- 2 celery sticks, finely diced (£0.46)
- 2 tbsp tomato puree (£0.37)
- 800 g (2 tins) of plum tomatoes (£0.56)
- 300 g Quorn mince (£1.90)
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced (£0.69/3)=(£0.23)
- 1 bunch of fresh thyme, removed from tough stem (£0.50)
- 400 g rigatoni (£0.70)
- Vegetarian Parmesan optional
Cupboard Essentials
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- 400 ml vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt & Pepper
Method
- In a large saucepan over a medium/low heat, add the olive oil and onion to saute for around 3 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
- Next, add the carrot, aubergine and celery into the pan. Continue to fry for around 5 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
- When the aubergine starts to reduce in size and the carrot begins to soften, add the tomato puree, garlic, fresh thyme and mixed herbs to fry for a couple of minutes before adding the plum tomatoes, stock and quorn mince.
- Stir to combine and cover with a lid. Leave to simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- During this time, cook your pasta to two minutes shy of the packet time, reserving some pasta water before draining.
- Add the rigatoni into the bolognese with a splash of pasta water and continue to cook until al dente. Serve with an optional serving of vegetarian grated parmesan.
Notes
- Add tomato puree, garlic, and fresh thyme for depth of flavor in the sauce. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Cook Quorn mince from frozen for best results.
- Adjust sauce consistency with water or vegetable stock if too thick. Taste and adjust seasoning with herbs, salt, or pepper. Serve with cooked pasta of choic
Nutrition
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