About the Recipe
Jackfruit Bolognese is a delicious plant-based take on the classic Italian favorite, where finely minced jackfruit and lentils create a rich, hearty sauce that delivers familiar depth and texture—without the meat.
Ingredients
For the pasta:
200 g pasta
Parmesan to serve
Fresh basil to serve
Black pepper and salt to taste
For the Jackfruit bolognese:
25 g Ofene dried jackfruit minced
40 g red lentils
1 cup vegetable stock or water
1 medium onion minced
1 medium carrot finely minced
4 garlic cloves minced
1 celery stalk finely minced
3 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
2 tsp oregano (or rosemary)
1 tsp smoked paprika
Preparation
Use a food processor to mince the vegetables. Use pulsing motions, so the vegetables don’t turn to mush.
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep pan and sauté the minced onion, carrot and celery for 5 minutes over medium heat until softened.
Add the garlic, smoked paprika and oregano, stir to combine and continue to cook for another minute until fragrant.
Stir in the tomato paste, and put the bay leaf and cook for another minute. Add the lentils, jackfruit and vegetable stock and stir to combine. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf from the sauce.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it well, and cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the package.
Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan with bolognese, toss well with the sauce and stir in parmesan, season with salt and black pepper.
Serve with fresh basil, extra parmesan and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if desired.