February 5, 2022
Vegan Chorizo Bolognese
This Vegan Chorizo Bolognese is a fiery twist on a beloved classic. Like its traditional counterpart, it’s luscious and rich, with wonderful depths of flavor – and the addition of chorizo lends a slight smokiness that completely elevates it. Serve with cilantro and vegan queso fresco for an indulgent dinner that’s seriously 5-star restaurant worthy.
Psst! Don’t let the 3-hour cook time dissuade you; most of it’s simmering time, which really allows for the flavors to build and develop.
Vegan Chorizo Bolognese
Whether you’re treating yourself to some much needed R&R, celebrating with your significant other, trying to impress a certain someone, or doing galentine’s with the ladies, this vegan chorizo bolognese is a MUST for your next date-night in.
Hint hint: it’s the perfect dish for Valentine’s Day!
It’s rich and luscious, with smoky and slightly spicy undertones. This dish is, without a doubt, luxurious.
Pour yourself a glass of wine, put on a your best playlist, and let’s get to cookin’ the best Vegan Chorizo Bolognese!
what is bolognese?
Bolognese sauce, also known as ragù bolognese, or more simply, ragù, is a meat-based sauce in Italian cuisine, typical of the city of Bologna. It is customarily used to dress tagliatelle and to prepare lasagna alla bolognese.
Authentic ragù bolognese is a slowly cooked meat-based sauce, and its preparation involves several techniques, including sweating, sautéing and braising. Ingredients include a characteristic soffritto of onion, celery and carrot, different types of minced or finely chopped beef, often alongside small amounts of fatty pork. White wine, milk, and a small amount of tomato paste or tomatoes are added, and the dish is then gently simmered at length to produce a thick sauce.
While my chorizo bolognese isn’t by any means authentic, I am incorporating many of the same techniques and similar ingredients to produce a thick and luscious sauce that’s painstakingly good!
what goes into chorizo bolognese?
My chorizo bolognese is straightforward, with some ingredients similar to a traditional Bolognese, and some not-so-traditional, which in my opinion, really elevate this dish. Other than vegan chorizo, there are a few other particular ingredients you’ll need:
- Jalapeño: deseeded and deveined, so they add just a touch of spice to compliment the chorizo.
- Cilantro: this dish is indulgent, and the cilantro adds a wonderful fresh, zesty pop! If you have the cilantro gene and you think it tastes like soap, you can substitute for parsley!
- Vegan beef broth (typically in a powdered or cubed bouillon mixed with water to create a broth) or vegetable broth: again, this just adds another layer of flavor. Try to use a good-quality, highly concentrated broth!
- Vegan mozzarella cheese: the creaminess of the cheese balances the smokiness of the chorizo and the light spiciness of the jalapeño.
how to make vegan Chorizo Bolognese
Much like a traditional bolognese sauce, my chorizo bolognese is straightforward, but does take time to build up on all those layers of flavor – most of which is just simmer and stirring every now and again. Here’s how to make it:
1. Sauté:
the onions, carrot, jalapeño and garlic. Once that’s nice and fragrant, add the chorizo and continue to sauté until cooked through.
2. Simmer:
start with the non-dairy milk. Pour that in gently and simmer until it evaporates. Next, the wine and cilantro. Again, you’ll want to simmer this until it evaporates. Then, pour in the crushed tomatoes and turn the heat to low. Continue to simmer for another 2 hours, giving it a gentle stir every 20 minutes or so. You’ll notice when stirring that the sauce will become quite thick and even stick to the bottom of the pan – when it does, add 1/2 cup of broth throughout the simmering process – I notice I typically use 1 1/2 – 2 cups.
3. Stir:
off the heat, stir in the vegan cheese and continue to stir until it’s fully melted in. Next, stir in the pasta.
4. Enjoy!
Plate up the delicious Vegan Chorizo Bolognese and garnish with extra cilantro and vegan feta, if using, and enjoy!
the only appropriate way to serve vegan Chorizo Bolognese
Here’s a pro tip: toss the un-rinsed al dente pasta in the sauce. This is how true Italian pasta is prepared, and in my opinion, the only way it should be prepared. Rather than placing the noodles into pasta bowls and pouring the chorizo bolognese on top, tossing the noodles into the sauce will marry the two – the sauce will coat each and every starchy noodle ever so perfectly! No more half bare noodles and unused sauce sitting at the bottom of your bowl anymore!
oodles of noodles
If pasta is your love language, then you need to try these recipes out, too!
- Chick’n Tequila Lime Pasta: a vegan copycat of the famous Chicken Tequila Fettuccine from CPK.
- Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Cheesy Pistachio Breadcrumbs: easy enough for a weeknight dinner, yet decadent enough for a fancy date-night in. Either way, this dish is sure to be on regular rotation.
- Louisiana-Inspired Parmesan Crusted Chick’n Pasta: A cajun-inspired Alfredo pasta that brings the heat.
- Creamy Lemon Pasta with Garlicky Pistachio Breadcrumbs: that’s ready in just 20 minutes. Need I say more?
for the love of noods
I hope ya’ll love my Vegan Chorizo Bolognese as much as I do! If you give it a try, I’d love to see! Snap a photo, take a video, or make a story of your luscious noods and post it to Instagram, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs. I love seeing your recreations of my recipes!
Til next time, friends!
xo!
Ashley
Vegan Chorizo Bolognese
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped white onions about 1 onion
- ¾ cup peeled and chopped carrots about 1 carrot
- ½ cup chopped jalapeño deseeded, and deveined (about 2 large jalapenos)
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound vegan chorizo
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper plus more to taste
- 1 cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
- ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro plus more for garnish
- 1 cup vegan-friendly dry red wine such as pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon
- 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups vegan beef broth or vegetable broth
- 1 cup shredded vegan mozzarella
- 1 pound vegan-friendly pappardelle noodles or noodles of choice
- Vegan feta or vegan queso fresco for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- To prepare the Chorizo Bolognese sauce, melt the butter and oil in a large non-stick sauté pan over medium heat. Once melted, add the onions, carrots, and jalapeño to the pan and cook until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until it is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the vegan chorizo to the pan and crumble with the back of a spatula or wooden spoon. Season with the salt and pepper and continue to cook until the chorizo is warmed completely through, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Pour in the milk and simmer gently, stirring frequently, until all the milk has evaporated, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Once the milk has bubbled away, add the cilantro and wine and simmer for another 5 to 6 minutes, or until all the wine has evaporated. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered, for 2 hours, giving the sauce a good stir every 20 minutes. If the sauce seems like it is too dry and starts sticking to the pan (this is normal), add 1⁄2 cup of broth when necessary (I find I usually need to add 1 ½ to 2 cups throughout the simmering process). At the end of the 2 hours, make sure the sauce is still very thick and there is no liquid left.
- Off the heat, add the mozzarella and mix until all the cheese has melted into the sauce. Taste and adjust for salt.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain, but do not rinse.
- Toss the pasta with the Chorizo Bolognese sauce and serve immediately garnished with cilantro and vegan feta, if using.
This recipe was absolutely Devine. It required a lot of time to cook, but it was worth every second of it! I will definitely make it again and I can’t wait to make other recipes.
This pasta dish is AMAZING! Made it for Super Bowl Sunday! I ate till I couldn’t move LOL. A crowd pleaser for sure. Xoxo
Absolutely delicious! Worth the time for sure. Thanks for creating this, I love the yummy twist on a classic.
This is the perfect dish to make when entertaining! House smells great, you can clean up while it’s simmering, and it’s easy to make yet creates such a sophisticated meal.