Mushroom and walnut bolognese

The walnut ‘meat’ returns!

I’ve used it twice before now, piled high on roasted potato slices, and stuffed into lettuce wraps. Since both of these recipes spiced it up and made it taco meat style, this time I thought I’d do something a bit different and use it to make spaghetti bolognese (a firm favourite).

I usually use beef-style soy mince in my bolognese, but I loved this less processed version even more. The mushrooms give a bit of chewiness, and the coarsely ground walnuts make sure the mixture has a bit of bite. They’re cooked in with the tomatoes, so they’re not completely crunchy, but definitely give you something to sink your teeth into.

This vegan version isn’t your typical bolognese sauce. It’s not simmered for hours to make a dark, rich tomato sauce (though a splash of red wine wouldn’t go amiss!), but what the recipe lacks in colour, it makes up for in convenience – it only takes about 20 minutes to make! I used a combination of big tomatoes and little cherry tomatoes, but you can use whatever kind you have on hand.

Don’t forget to serve your spaghetti bolognese topped with a good handful of grated cheese – or keep it plain (or use vegan cheese!) for a vegan version.

Then just grab a fork and dig in…

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Mushroom and walnut bolognese

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 20 mins

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 3 medium mushrooms diced fairly small
• 100 g walnuts
• 3 large tomatoes diced
• 100 g cherry tomatoes ~12, halved
• 100 ml vegetable stock ~1/3 cup
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• Black pepper
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• To serve: spaghetti optional, grated cheese

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan, and add the onion, garlic and mushrooms. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft.
• Meanwhile, add the walnuts to a food processor, and pulse a few times until the walnuts are coarsely ground.
• Add the walnuts to the mushroom mixture, along with the remaining ingredients. Turn the heat up a little, and simmer gently for around 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have broken down and the mixture is at your desired consistency. Serve with spaghetti and grated cheese if desired.

Course: Main meal

Author: Becca Heyes

Love spaghetti? Here’s another 20 minute recipe – asparagus spaghetti with a fried egg: