This easy Tempeh Bolognese is a hearty vegan pasta sauce made with crumbled tempeh, tangy tomatoes, umami nutritional yeast, and plenty of Italian herbs. Ready in about 30 minutes and packed with plant-based protein, it delivers rich, slow-simmered flavour on a weeknight schedule.
The coziest pasta sauce ever
It doesn’t get much cozier than curling up with a big bowl of pasta Bolognese—especially when the sauce is rich, hearty, and loaded with savoury flavour.
There are plenty of ways to make a vegetarian Bolognese, but tempeh is one of my favourites. Once crumbled and browned, it takes on a satisfyingly hearty texture while soaking up all the flavor from the tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and nutritional yeast. It also adds plenty of plant-based protein, making this a pasta dinner that actually keeps you full.
Best of all, this Tempeh Bolognese comes together in just about 30 minutes. You get the cozy, slow-simmered feel of a classic Bolognese without spending your entire afternoon tending a pot on the stove. Serve it over spaghetti or your favourite pasta, add a generous shower of vegan Parmesan, and dinner is done.
🧑🏻🍳 Looking for more nutritionist-designed tempeh recipes? Try my quick and easy Creamy Gochujang Pasta with Tempeh, or HNL community-fave Tempeh Tacos.
Let's make Tempeh Bolognese together!
Ok my friend, let's get down to business. Let me show you how easy this Tempeh Bolognese is to make. You'll find specific quantities for ingredients and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post, but for now, join me for a quick walkthrough.
Step 1: Make the tempeh Sauce
Grab your favorite saucepan and heat it over medium-high heat.
Brown the onions and garlic, and then crumble the tempeh into the pan and let it get nice and browned, too.
Then the spices go in, as do the tomatoes and the nutritional yeast. Reduce the heat to low and let this bubble and simmer away for about 20 minutes, uncovered, to let the flavours develop.
Step 2: serve!
While that's happening you can cook up a big pot of pasta to go with your tempeh bolognese. Spoon the sauce over the pasta, sprinkle with extra nutritional yeast, and enjoy your dinner!
Tempeh Bolognese (Vegan!)
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 8 ounce package tempeh crumbled
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup water more as needed
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Add the onion, and sauté until it just begins to brown, stirring frequently.1 large onion
- Add the garlic, and cook for 2-3 minutes, more, until it has just softened.4 cloves garlic
- Now add the tempeh crumbles, and sauté with the onions and garlic until the tempeh begins to brown - about five minutes.8 ounce package tempeh
- Add the oregano, thyme, and chili and cook with the spices for about a minute.1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon thyme, ½ teaspoon chili powder
- Add the diced tomatoes, water, and nutritional yeast and stir well to combine. If the mixture is to thick, add a bit more water as needed (remember it'll thicken as it cooks).28 ounce can diced tomatoes, ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes, ¼ cup water
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the bolognese simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve over hot whole wheat spaghetti, with extra nutritional yeast sprinkled over the top.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only
- Nutrition calculation is for sauce only, does not include pasta.
- Can I make this veggie bolognese sauce in advance? Yup! It'll last you 3-5 days in the fridge and it reheats like a dream.
- Can I freeze this vegetarian bolognese? You sure can! I like to portion it into single or double servings and then freeze it, or you can totally freeze the entire batch, too.
- Can I add extra vegetables to the pasta sauce? You sure can! Grated zucchini and carrots work great in this recipe.
Erin Neu says
I can't wait to make this. Are the herbs dry? I have fresh oregano and thyme growing so I may add them after the tomato instead. I also will deglaze with red wine for extra yum!
Katie Trant says
I use dry herbs, but fresh of course works too!
Melissa Geib says
Yummy! I added mushrooms to mine!
Katie Trant says
I'm not a fan of mushrooms, but you do you! 🙂
Angela says
Suggestions for making this higher in fat? Would more oil ruin this? Ghee?
Katie Trant says
I haven't tried adding more fat to this recipe, so can't say how it would turn out. One thought is you could add chopped or ground walnuts, which add a great "meaty" texture in addition to the tempeh.
David Yager says
For best health benefits dont brown the tempeh. Its a natural probiotic.
Katie Trant says
It's true... but browning makes it delicious! You'll still reap most of the health benefits of the tempeh with the browning, and the heat of the sauce will end up destroying many of the live bacteria anyways. Also, tempeh isn't safe to eat raw and does require some cooking.
Barbara Young says
This has joined our dinner cycle of "regulars". My only change is to sauté mushrooms with lots of garlic first, set aside, then add to the recipe as written before the simmer stage. Delicious!
Katie Trant says
So glad to hear that this recipe is your regular rotation, Barbara! I'm not a fan of mushrooms, but I know lots of people are, so great to know about that modification!
Alex says
Does anyone know how much spaghetti I should use??
Katie Trant says
A single serving of spaghetti is generally considered to be 2oz, so you can multiply that by however many people you're serving.
POL says
Hey there, your Tempeh bolognese was such a delight. I added mushrooms in just after the tempeh, absolutely stunning. Happy cooking!
Ellen says
I tried my hand at making Tempeh this weekend and used it in this recipe it was so tasty and filling thanks for the wonderful recipe
Katie Trant says
You *made* tempeh?! Tell me more!
Heather Mason @NuttyNutrition says
yummy! I have never been a tempeh fan in the past, but I think smothered in tomato sauce I might like it. Because I do always feel my pasta with red sauce is missing just a little protein.
Katie Trant says
I'm a tempeh lover, so I can't say how this might go down with someone who doesn't like the stuff, but I'm totally with you on red sauces being protein void. If you give it a whirl, let me know what you think!