Melbourne Holistic Health Group

Published in Recipes - Tofu and Tempeh on 09 October 2011 by Melbourne Holistic Health Group

Serves 4 - 6

Spaghetti bolognaise is many people’s favourite, but this version has an unexpected twist to the usual beef (animal-derived protein) – the addition of tofu (vegetable-derived protein) and bacon. The sauce is rich and flavoursome. Adding tofu brings down the saturated fat content of the recipe whilst retaining a high protein content. Fresh herbs do taste best, but if they are difficult to source, dried herbs will suffice.

 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 400g lean minced beef
• 2 rashes lean bacon, finely sliced
• 410g can diced tomatoes
• ½ cup tomato paste
• ¼ cup red wine
• 1 cup beef or vegetable stock or water
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon chopped basil or 1 teaspoon dried
• ¼ teaspoon of each dried thyme and nutmeg
• 200g firm tofu, crumbled between 2 hands
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• ½ cup parmesan cheese

• boiling water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 300g spaghetti

You will need

• Baking dish
• Large frying pan
• Heat resistant stirring implement
• Large saucepan or stock pot with a lid
• Individual bowls for serving

Method

Lightly grease a baking tray with a little olive oil. Crumble the tofu into it. Cover with the dried herbs and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake in the oven at 180oC for 15-20 minutes. It should start to brown.

While the tofu is baking, heat the oil in a large frypan. Add onion and stir over medium heat until the onion is soft. Add garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Put the onions and garlic onto a plate.

Heat the frypan well, add the mince and sliced bacon and cook on high until all the meat is browned (or if your cooker is a bit slow, do smaller lots to avoid fluid draining and the meat stewing).

Return the onions to the frypan with all the browned meat. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, stock, oregano, basil (if dried), thyme and nutmeg. Add the baked tofu. Bring the pan to the boil and then reduce to simmer for approximately 30 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce is thick. Stir through fresh parsley and basil.

While the sauce is cooking (about 20 minutes before it is due to be ready, cook the pasta. In a large saucepan of boiling water add salt, olive oil and spaghetti. Stir for the first minute (this helps the strands not to stick together). Bring the pasta to the boil with the lid on, then remove and cook in a rolling boil, uncovered, until the pasta is al dente.

Drain immediately and place the spaghetti back into the saucepan. Pour half the sauce over the pasta and mix through until the pasta is coated in sauce. Serve in individual bowls and top with the remaining sauce.

Serve with grated parmesan.

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