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Deliciously Veggie ‘Bolognese’ Pasta Bake

by Micaela Harrasser

Are you looking for a nourishing dish, that is not too heavy or perhaps vegetarian? Are you a fan of the calssic lasagne alla Bolognese? I got you covered!

This delicious pasta bake has cannelloni filled with a vegetarian and lighter version of the classic lasagna. The cannelloni are filled with a tomato sauce + plant based minced meat, mushrooms and spinach for that extra healthy boost. Then of course because it’s winter, i.e. cold & miserable outside, we need that lovely bechamel sauce to generously cover everything like an oversized warm blanket.

For the meat replacement, you can use what you like! I like the rul gehakt from the vegetarische slager – you can also opt for the ‘fresh’ version of the mince! The mushrooms add that ‘meaty bite’ and for the healthy benefits. I also added a bit of spinach to make it richer & healthier – we all need those minerals and iron! Lastly, you can make the dish vegan (or also dairy free) by using plant-based milk and plant-based butter. Make sure the milk you use is not sweetened!

The best thing about this dish is that even though it takes some time, you can make a big batch and freeze it! 😉 Also, if you don’t have cannelloni, you can also use lasagna sheets or a short pasta! Enjoy!

[ratings]

Deliciously Veggie 'Bolognese' Pasta Bake

Serves: 3x as main Prep Time: Cooking Time: Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

  • soffritto: 1 small onion, 1/2 small carrot and 1/3 celery stick finely chopped
  • 120g cannelloni
  • 100g fesh spinach to boil
  • 200g plant based minced meat 
  • 1 can tomatoes
  • 5-6 mushrooms 
  • bechamel sauce: 15g butter + 15g flour, 150-200ml milk
  • salt pepper and nutmeg a generous pinch

Instructions

  1. First, make the soffritto: finely chop the carrot onion and celery and cook it on gentle heat in some olive oil for a few minutes.
  2. Add the plant-based minced meat and mushroom and cook for a few minutes.
  3. Add the canned tomatoes, then fill up the can to half with water and add that too.
  4. Mix and cook on gentle heat for about 30 minutes.
  5. In the meantime, clean and boil the spinach.
  6. Then, place some water to boil and quickly boil the cannelloni for 1 minute to soften them.
  7. Once the meat is almost done, turn the oven to 180C fan.
  8. Prepare the bechamel sauce: combine flour and butter on a low heat, then once the butter has melted and combined with the flour, slowly add the milk. Mix very well with a whisk or a wooden spoon to prevent lumps.
  9. Add a generous pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir. Keep stirring until it thickens up.
  10. Once the meat is done, chop the boiled spinach and add them to it. Mix well.
  12. Now it’s time to prepare the dish! Take an oven proof dish and add a thin layer of bechamel sauce at the bottom to prevent the pasta from sticking too much.
  13. Fill the cannelloni with the meat-tomato sauce and place them one next to the other.
  14. Cover generously with leftover sauce, then with the bechamel sauce on top.
  15. Place in the oven and cook for 40 minutes.
  16. Let it cool for a bit before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Storage: it can be frozen, or stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Heat up in the oven or microwave.

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