Beyond Meat Spaghetti Sauce - Meaty with hidden veggies
This homemade Italian-style spaghetti sauce is a real crowd pleaser. Hearty and meaty like a traditional spaghetti sauce but made with plant-based Beyond Meat and almost 8 cups of vegetables.
Servings
Calories 489 kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion, finely diced
- 1-2 cups peppers, finely diced (I use an assortment of red, orange, and yellow, but use any colour you like.)
- 2-4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 cups spinach, finely chopped
- 1 unit Beyond Meat ground beef
- 680 ml strained/crushed tomatoes (I recommend a brand that has no sugar. It should contain just tomatoes and salt.)
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Optional Ingredients
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
Preparation
- The key to making this recipe a 'hidden' veggie sauce is to dice all of the vegetables as finely as possible. I use a small food chopper for this, which speeds up the work. I recommend chopping everything but the spinach before starting the recipe. While the sauce is simmering, you'll have time to chop the spinach.
Making the Sauce
- Heat the oil in a large pan.
- Stir in the onions and cook for 5 minutes on medium high.
- Add the peppers and cook, stirring occassionally, for another 5 minutes.
- Add the fresh garlic, and cook and stir for 5 more minutes.
- Add the Beyond Meat and cook until browned, about 5 for minutes.
- Turn down to a simmer and add the strained/crushed tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes if using, and dried basil, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes.
- Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add the spinach and the Parmesan cheese (if using). Cook until the spinach is dissolved into the sauce, 5-10 minutes.
- Taste and add salt as needed.
Notes
Storage and reheating
You can store this in a well-sealed container for 2-3 days. If you want to keep it for longer, you can freeze it. Use within a month. Defrost and reheat over low heat.Replacing fresh spinach with frozen
You can replace the fresh spinach with about 1/4 cup of frozen spinach. Add the frozen spinach at the same time as you add the tomatoes and spices.Replacing Beyond Meat
I have not tested this with other brands of plant-based meat, to date, but I think it would work just as well with similar products.Nutrition
Calories: 489kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 960mg | Potassium: 1635mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 3105IU | Vitamin C: 78mg | Calcium: 209mg | Iron: 9mg