Thinking of what food to indulge in for the holidays without the guilt? Try this vegan version of the classic Filipino-style Spaghetti that’s made with texturized vegetable protein, a plant-based mince alternative, in a rich tomato sauce sweetened with some coconut sugar. 

Serves 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

 

Ingredients:

 

650 g dry spaghetti

1 1/2 cups texturized vegetable protein (TVP), see notes for substitutions

1 tbsp neutral oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, diced

1 1/2 cups (200 g) sliced button mushrooms

Salt, to taste

Dash of pepper, or more to taste

4 cups tomato sauce

1 tbsp tomato paste, to thicken the sauce

1 cup water, or more as needed

1/4 to 1/2 cup coconut sugar, to sweeten if needed (see notes)

Vegan cheese shreds (optional for topping)

Chopped basil or parsley (optional for topping)

 

Procedures:

1. Heat a large pot with water over high. Once it boils, add in the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain the water and then add a drizzle of oil to coat the noodles so they do not stick. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, place the TVP, if using, in a bowl and then soak in hot water until doubled in size, around 5 minutes. Drain the water and set aside.
3. Heat a large pan or pot over medium. Add in the oil and then sauté the onion and garlic until tender, around 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the TVP or substitute. Add in the sliced mushrooms as well and then season with some salt and pepper, to taste. Leave to cook for 2 to 3 minutes over medium-high heat.
4. Add in the tomato sauce and tomato paste into the pot. Mix well with the mushrooms. Add some water, to thin out the sauce, as needed, and then add in the sugar, to sweeten. Leave the sauce to boil over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Taste the sauce and season with more salt and sugar, if needed. Turn off the heat and serve the spaghetti with the sauce and some vegan cheese shreds. Top with chopped herbs if you’d like. Enjoy!

 

Notes:

TVP or texturized vegetable protein is purchased dried and can easily be rehydrated with water to resemble minced pork in vegan/vegetarian dishes. A good alternative for TVP would be cooked lentils, minced mushrooms, or other plant-based ground meat alternatives. You can substitute the TVP in this recipe with 3 cups of minced mushrooms, lentils, or plant-based ground.

 

For coconut sugar, you can opt to use other types of sugar to sweeten, if needed. The amount of sugar will also depend on the acidity of the tomato sauce you’re using.