So, January is upon us and chilly months are perfect for all the saucy carbs. This vegan Parmesan gnocchi Bolognese is sweater weather food through and through. It is super easy, and you make this recipe with lots of different proteins. My favorite way to make this Bolognese is with beyond beef or impossible beef. However, it is delicious with lentils, tofu crumbles, or vegan sausage. The vegan Parmesan gives this sauce a salty, and complex flavor. The veggies make it feel so rich and hearty. This Parmesan Bolognese would be amazing over pasta or polenta, but I particularly like it over gnocchi.
What You Need For This Cozy Dish:
- Gnocchi: Of course. Every once in a while I’ll make some homemade gnocchi, but there are a lot of good store bought brands that are vegan! I really like Gia Russa. It is certified vegan and should be very easy to find.
- Onion, Celery, Carrots and Garlic: Any good Bolognese starts with these!
- Impossible Meat/Beyond Beef/Lentils/Tofu Crumbles: Whatever your preference is for the meat replacement!
- Tomato Paste: For some depth and sweetness.
- Tomato Sauce: Of course!
- Vegetable Broth: The perfect replacement for beef broth.
- Wine: I always use a sweet Marsala wine, but your favorite red wine will work too!
- Bay Leaves and Italian Seasoning: These give the sauce an amazing flavor.
- Agave: I think it needs a pinch of sweetness. Some traditional tomato sauces have sugar in them.
- Vegan Parmesan: I used Follow Your Heart, but I love Violife too!
This simple vegan Parmesan Gnocchi Bolognese is the simplest meal ever. The only real effort is sautéing the veggies for the sauce and then simmering it. All in one pot. Cook the gnocchi according to the package directions and add them to the sauce! Boom. A super delicious, super impressive meal that seems like it took all day.
Why Should You Make This Dreamy, Chilly Weather Meal?
- Uses very basic ingredients.
- Hearty and will feed a crowd.
- It tastes so dang good, you won’t know what hit you or how it happened.
- ‘Cause it is amazing.
- It’s super simple.
Vegan Parmesan Gnocchi Bolognese
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
- 1/2 a Sweet onion, diced
- 2 Medium Carrots, chopped
- 1 Stalk Celery, diced
- 6 Cloves Garlic, chopped
- 12 Ounces Vegan beef, I used Impossible Beef*
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato paste
- 1/2 Cup Red or Marsala wine, I used Sweet Marsala
- 1 teaspoon Agave syrup
- 1 Can(15oz.) Canned tomato sauce (tomato puree not ketchup)
- 2 Cups Vegetable broth
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1/3 Cup Vegan Parmesan, I used Follow Your Heart**
- 2 16 oz. Pkgs. Vegan Gnocchi, I used Gia Russa(2lbs)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil on medium in a large pot.
- Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté, reducing heat as needed until the onion is translucent. About 5 minutes.
- Now add the vegan beef, breaking it up with a spoon or spatula until it is in small pieces. Stir with the veggies in the pot. Sauté until brown. About 5 minutes.
- Add the Italian seasoning, the tomato paste and another pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Then pour in the wine and stir, scraping any bits that are stuck on the bottom of the pot.
- Add the agave, tomato sauce, vegetable broth and bay leaves. Stir to combine everything.
- Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
- In the meantime, cook your gnocchi according to package directions. Drain if boiling. Some gnocchi is just browned in a pan.
- After the Bolognese simmers for 10 minutes. Stir in the vegan Parmesan. Cover and simmer for another 5-10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. It will thicken more as it cools.
- Now, taste the sauce and adjust seasoning. It may need more salt and pepper.
- Serve a bowl of the gnocchi with sauce on top and extra vegan Parmesan if desired!
Cassandra Pearce
Came out SO good. Hubby’s not vegan and he really liked it. Picky 10 year old non vegan daughter gave it a 10 out if 10!
Amy
Hello,
I live in the UK and just wanted to check the difference between tomato sauce and paste.
Sauce I thought might be passata? I’ve got tomato puree but just a little confused.
Thanks. 😊
Hans Ernestine
Tomato paste usually comes in very small 2 oz cans. It’s thick like peanut butter. Tomato sauce comes in an 8oz can and is thick and smooth, similar to condensed tomato soup. It is not seasoned, just liquified and filtered, usually no seeds either. Passata is more like a loose pasta sauce and is usually sweetened and a bit more chunky than tomato sauce, not the same thing but could work.
Pauline
What would you sub for the wine for people who dont drink?
Jacob
The alcohol cooks out. 🙂
Karen
Husband and son loved! Definitely will be a repeat!
Kristin Holmes
What would you recommend as a substitution for the wine?
Annie
Amazing! I love every dish I’ve made from this blog. I forgot to purchase impossible beef so I used Tempeh crumbles and still turned out great.
Jessica
Hearty, excellent dinner for anyone that misses meaty dishes. Really nice for a rainy day. I used the marsala wine, but I think next time I’ll use red for a more robust flavor. I may add an extra half tsp of basil or oregano as well.
Kylie Solis
This was amazing. I just googled beyond meat gnocchi because I both would go bad in a few days and found this gem.