Mushroom Bolognese (vegan) Recipe

Prepare vegetables

Finely dice the onion, carrot, and celery (classic soffritto). Mince the garlic. Chop the mushrooms into very small pieces — pulse briefly in a food processor if you want a finer, meat-like texture.

Cook soffritto

Heat 3 tbs olive oil in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery and a pinch of salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 7–8 minutes.

Add garlic and mushrooms

Add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Increase heat to medium-high, add the chopped mushrooms and walnuts. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms release their moisture and it mostly evaporates and the mixture begins to brown, about 8–10 minutes. This step builds savory flavor—let things brown but not burn.

Develop flavor

Stir in 2 tbs tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to remove the raw tomato taste. Pour in the red wine (or 120 ml vegetable broth) to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits. Let wine reduce by half, about 2–3 minutes.

Simmer sauce

Add the crushed tomatoes, 240 ml vegetable broth, 2 tsp soy sauce or tamari, dried oregano, dried thyme, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, 1.5 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp maple syrup (if using). Stir to combine, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently, uncovered, for 20–25 minutes until thickened. Stir occasionally; if sauce becomes too thick, add small amounts of broth or reserved pasta water later to loosen.

Finish sauce

Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove bay leaf. If you want a smoother texture, pulse half the sauce briefly in a blender or use an immersion blender to gently break up any large pieces—do not puree completely; keep some texture. Keep warm while you cook the pasta.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add 1 tbs salt. Cook 400 g cavatelli according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve about 120 ml of pasta cooking water just before draining, then drain the pasta.

Transfer the drained cavatelli to the skillet with the mushroom walnut bolognese. Toss over low heat, adding 60–120 ml reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce and help it cling to the pasta. Cook together 1–2 minutes so the pasta finishes absorbing sauce flavors.

Soak cashews (if not pre-soaked)

If cashews weren't soaked beforehand, do a hot soak: pour boiling water over the cashews and let sit 15–30 minutes, then drain. For best texture, overnight cold soak is preferred.

Make cashew cheese

Combine the soaked and drained cashews, 60 ml water, 3 tbs nutritional yeast, 2 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp garlic powder, 0.5 tsp salt, and 1 tsp olive oil in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides as needed. Add a splash more water if necessary to reach a thick, spoonable consistency similar to ricotta.

Toast walnut garnish (optional)

In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast 2 tbs walnut pieces, stirring, until fragrant and lightly browned, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat to avoid burning.

Plate and garnish

Divide the cavatelli with mushroom walnut bolognese among bowls. Dollop or spoon the cashew cheese over each portion (or toss a few tablespoons into the pasta to melt slightly). Sprinkle toasted walnut pieces and chopped fresh basil or parsley on top. Finish with an extra drizzle of olive oil and freshly cracked black pepper, if desired.