Tempeh Bolognese

To simmer the tempeh, start by cutting the block into quarters (or eighths) and then crumble into small bite-sized pieces. Add crumbled tempeh, 4 cups vegetable broth and tamari to a medium pot. Bring pot to boil then reduce heat. Cover and simmer tempeh for at least 20 minutes.

After tempeh has simmered, drain using a colander and press tempeh against the sides to get as much moisture out as you can. Set aside.

In a large skillet or medium pot, sauté onions and carrots for about 5 minutes until they start to get soft. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time if they start to stick.

Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and use a wooden spoon to mash them. Do this gently so they don’t explode and you spend extra time cleaning tomato off the wall.

Add remaining 1 cup broth and stir in rosemary. Add tempeh and stir everything. Make sure the sauce is at a slow simmer then cover pan and simmer for 45 minutes. Check sauce periodically to ensure it hasn’t reduced too much and that it is still at a slow simmer.

Start the pasta after the sauce has simmered for about 20 minutes. That should give you time to boil the water, cook and drain the pasta so it’s hot to serve.