← Nouns Cooking · Plant-Based

Ingredients

• 200 g Tempeh, crumbled into small pieces
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, crushed
• 250 g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Tomato purée (paste)
• 100 ml vegan red wine (optional)
• 500 g Passata
• 200 ml vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1 tsp Smoked paprika
• 1 tsp Dried oregano
• 1 tsp Balsamic vinegar
• 400 g spaghetti or tagliatelle
• salt and black pepper
• 1 handful Parsley, chopped (optional)

Method

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large, heavy pan over medium-high heat. Add the tempeh and fry for 6–8 min, stirring, until browned and crisp at the edges. Scoop onto a plate.
2. Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining oil, the onion, carrot and celery and a pinch of salt, and cook for 8 min, until soft.
3. Add the mushrooms and cook for 6–8 min, until their liquid has evaporated. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute, then pour in the wine (if using) and let it bubble away.
4. Add the passata, stock, soy sauce, paprika, oregano and the tempeh. Simmer, partly covered, for 25 min, stirring now and then, until thick and rich. Stir in the balsamic and season.
5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water until al dente. Save a mug of the cooking water before draining.
6. Toss the pasta with the sauce, loosening it with splashes of pasta water, and serve topped with parsley.

Tips

• If tempeh tastes bitter to you, simmer the block in water for 10 min before crumbling; it mellows it right out.
• Use tamari and gluten-free pasta to make it gluten-free. The sauce freezes well.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Lazy Cat Kitchen The Full Helping