Cauliflower Bolognese Is The Meat-Free Swap You Need To Try

If you're a pasta lover, you'll know the delight of tasting a forkful of Ragù alla Bolognese with its rich and wonderful flavors. The slow-cooked meat sauce is an Italian classic and it makes the perfect topping for a plate of spaghetti, a filling for a lasagna, or even gently spooned over your favorite zoodles or squash. If your diet does not include meat, however, there are still many great ways that you can indulge in this savory dish. Enjoy a vegetarian version of bolognese sauce by substituting a cruciferous favorite for the main meat ingredient. Cauliflower is the perfect vegetable to swap into your bolognese sauce for a meat-free yet decadent dish.

There are so many craveable cauliflower recipes, that it's the obvious choice both as an addition to or as a meat substitute in a bolognese sauce. In fact, it even plays a starring role in a roasted cauliflower "mac" and cheese recipe, demonstrating its versatility and deliciousness in pasta and pasta-adjacent meals. Cauliflower is an ideal substitute for most animal proteins because of its adaptability in absorbing different seasonings and flavors as well as its textural variations when cooked a number of different ways. In the context of a bolognese sauce, you can easily caramelize riced cauliflower to get the perfect texture and taste for replicating that of a meat sauce.

Of the wide range of ingredient additions you can make for a better Bolognese sauce, substituting cauliflower in place of meat will make your dish accessible to more people. Using a standard blend of seasonings including onion, garlic, thyme, basil, and rosemary, you can double up your vegetable proteins to include both cauliflower and mushrooms to add more depth in texture as well as a pop of different flavor. You can also try using canned lentils for even more vegetable protein. Make sure to use a hearty tomato base for your sauce to get the right consistency and thickness. You can either use riced cauliflower or coarsely chop it into larger florets depending on your preference. There are also plenty of substitutions and additions you can make based on if you wish to make a vegetarian or fully vegan meal.

If you're going for a fully vegan dish, saute your aromatics with olive oil instead of butter and choose a non-dairy parmesan cheese. If you prefer pasta alternatives, noodles made from squash or hearts of palm would make a complementary pairing with your cauliflower Bolognese. Fresh herbs are always great and can be combined with dried herbs to enhance the complexity of your overall flavor profile. No matter how you choose to make your cauliflower Bolognese, it's sure to impress and satisfy anyone who eats it.