Spaghetti bolognese…. the go-to meal during my college years and when I run out of recipe ideas. Now that we are eating a vegan diet I have tried making vegan bolognese recipes but none have truly convinced me. To make this easy, I would add plant based protein to my spaghetti meal by blending beans or tofu into the tomato sauce.

But, today I found a great way to make baked tofu Bolognese that is healthy, budget friendly, and tastes great. Better yet, it’s done in 30 minutes. Tasty tofu recipes are hard to come by, so I am excited to share this Tofu marinara recipe with you.

Tofu, tomato sauce, and pasta are all affordable, therefore, this tofu Bolognese meal is very budget friendly. To balance the food plate I fill one half of the plate with the spaghetti Bolognese mix and the other half with steamed greens. This is a great tofu meat sauce option!

One serving of the plant based tofu Bolognese contains 450 calories and almost 30 g of protein! It is also high in calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc. The nutrition information includes the side serving of 1.5 cups steamed asparagus. You can also use broccoli, Brussels sprouts, zucchini, or another seasonal or favorite vegetable.

I baked the tofu in the oven but you can use the air fryer to speed things up. I did not use any oil on the recipe. And if you want to go gluten free you can use gluten free pasta. To increase the protein content of the tofu with pasta recipe, use lentil pasta or chickpea pasta.

Easy Vegan Tofu Bolognese {30 Minutes}

Name: Easy Vegan Tofu Bolognese {30 Minutes}
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 bundles asparagus; 3 tsp soy sauce (sodium reduced); 1 tsp garlic powder; 16 oz. firm tofu; 2 cloves garlic, pressed; 1/2 onion, diced; 2 tsp Italian seasoning; 30 oz tomato sauce; 3 tsp tomato paste; 10 oz. whole wheat (or lentil/chickpea) pasta (less or more is fine)

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Easy vegan tofu bolognese that is oil free and can be made within 30 minutes. High protein plant based dinner recipe under 500 calories.

Ingredients

2 bundles asparagus
3 tsp soy sauce (sodium reduced)
1 tsp garlic powder
16 oz. firm tofu
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 onion, diced
2 tsp Italian seasoning
30 oz tomato sauce
3 tsp tomato paste
10 oz. whole wheat (or lentil/chickpea) pasta (less or more is fine)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Take pieces of the firm tofu, squeeze the water out with your hand, then crumble it into a bowl. Make sure the crumbles are small like grounds.
Add the soy sauce and the garlic powder on the crumbles and mix. Then spread them over a baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes. They should be a little bit hard on the outside but still soft on the inside. You can leave them longer if you want them more crisp.
While they are baking prepare the pasta according to the package.
Steam the asparagus (or other veggie) in 1/2 cup water until soft.
Take a larger sauce pan and add 1/4 cup water. Add the pressed garlic and diced onion and steam for a few minutes. Then add tomato sauce, herbs, tomato paste, and the tofu grounds (when they are ready).
Split everything into 4 equal serving sized and serve.

Notes

The nutrition info is based on making the recipe with steamed asparagus and 10 oz. whole wheat spaghetti.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size: 1 serving of 4
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 450Total Fat: 8.2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1192mgCarbohydrates: 76gFiber: 12.3gProtein: 29.4g