This easy vegan meat sauce is the stuff dreams are made of. It is ready in a flash, pleases the pickiest of palates, and evokes cozy memories. The tangy, garlic and herby tomato sauce mixed with the seitan crumbles super tasty. Served with your favorite pasta with cheese, nutritional yeast, and pepper, nobody will even miss the meat and cheese.
Even a household like mine with two chefs, has trouble with healthy and quick dinners on a busy weeknight. That is why this vegan spaghetti sauce recipe is a favorite of mine. Family life is hectic and kids are very picky.
Resisting the urge to take the path of least resistance and feeding them junk can be hard. I feel good about whipping up this dish on a weeknight.
The sauce is easy and tasty and has no added sugar like sauce out of a jar. It is much cheaper to make than an 8 dollar jar of quality sauce from the store plus you can customize it to your own family's tastes.
Why you’ll love this Easy Vegan Spaghetti Sauce with Seitan
- Made from scratch with super simple ingredients most of us already have on hand
- Contains no added sugar or additives, unlike store-bought sauces
- Has a pleasantly meaty texture thanks to protein-backed seitan
- Can be served instead of marinara sauce with any type of cooked pasta
Pro Tip for Picky Eaters
If your family has a hard time with the texture of vegetables, cook the sauce first and puree it. Then heat the seitan crumbles in a pan separately. Lastly combine the sauce and seitan. If you want to sneak in some additional vegetables to the breed sauce, I recommend butternut squash. Butternut purees nicely and adds an element of sweetness. This easy vegetarian pasta sauce is perfect for picky eaters.
Ingredients for Vegan Pasta Sauce
This list of ingredients may look long, but I bet you already have the majority of these on hand!
- Olive oil
- Minced garlic cloves
- Seitan crumbles - Seitan is a high protein vegan meat alternative made with vital wheat gluten. It's chewy and has a very similar texture to ground meat, making it look and feel like the real deal in sauces like this.
- Diced onion
- Red bell pepper - This is an easy way to sneak in even more nutrients and a rich flavor.
- Fire-roasted crushed tomatoes - I swear by fire-roasted canned tomatoes because the smokiness adds so much flavor.
- Seasonings - You really don't need much for a nuanced flavor. I use dry oregano, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste. If you don't have dried oregano, try Italian seasoning instead.
- Maple syrup - For just enough sweetness to mellow out the acidity of the canned tomatoes.
- Dry rigatoni - Or whichever type of pasta you prefer.
- Nutritional yeast - Add this to taste for a subtle cheesiness similar to parmesan. You can also use vegan parmesan, if you prefer.
Bonus tip: Since seitan is made with wheat, it is not suitable for people with celiac disease. For a safer option, use you preferred brand of gluten-free meat crumbles.
How to Make Vegan Spaghetti Sauce
- Put on water for pasta to cook on back burner and cook pasta according to the box while making the sauce.
- In a large skillet heat the oil then add garlic and onions and cook for 3-4 minutes until toasty and fragrant.
- Add seitan crumbles and bell peppers, and cook for 4 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, water, oregano, and salt and bring to a gentle simmer while you wait for the pasta to cook.
- Stir in pasta, garnish with black pepper, crushed red pepper and nutritional yeast to your taste.
- Serve with roasted veggies and your favorite garnishes, like chili flakes, vegan parmesan, and fresh herbs.
Storing Suggestions
If you have any leftovers, let them cool to room temperature then transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for 3-4 days.
You can also store the leftovers in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. This is a nice option if you want to make this homemade vegan spaghetti sauce often, and would like to have it on hand for later use. Just thaw, warm, and go!
Serving Suggestions
This delicious sauce can be served over any type of pasta, although I'm partial to rigatoni. Different types of noodles do different types of jobs, and tube-shaped noodles are great for holding lots of sauce. Spaghetti noodles end up completely coated in the pasta, and are especially fun for kids to eat.
To make a balanced meal, aim to fill it half with vegetables. A sheet tray of roasted broccoli, brussels sprouts and corn pair really well with this dish. Another idea is to throw together a simple salad while the pasta cooks. Add lots of crunchy vegetables like carrots and cucumbers and a bright dressing.
Tips for Making the Best Vegan Marinara Sauce
- Don't rush. This is a quick recipe, but you need the time to saute the vegetables and bring out their flavor. This gets you the best texture and flavor.
- Taste as you go. You'll know if the sauce tastes right or needs a little something else. Try it at least once throughout the cooking time and adjust the seasonings to taste.
- Amp up the tomato flavor. If you prefer an even bolder tomato flavor in your sauce, you can always add a little tomato paste. A little goes a long way, so start with less and add more if needed.
FAQs
Absolutely! You can skip the seitan completely or replace it with whichever vegan meat products you like. Seitan has a really nice texture and flavor that works well in this simple sauce, but you can also use vegan Italian sausages or a different brand of plant-based crumbles.
Another option is to cook down minced cremini mushrooms in a hot, dry skillet until they turn brown and dry out. Then add the remaining ingredients. The mushrooms will take on a meaty texture but without relying on any store-bought meat substitutes.
Most brands of marinara sauce at the grocery store are vegan, however you definitely want to read the labels. Some brands add meat, parmesan cheese, or other types of dairy to add extra flavor. You'll see that little V logo on the vegetarian and vegan sauces, although you can usually tell by reading the label quickly, too.
I recommend the fire-roasted crushed tomatoes for a couple of reasons. Crushed tomatoes have the perfect consistency - a little chunky without being too much - and you get extra flavor from the fire-roasting process. You can use San Marzano tomatoes or another type of canned tomatoes, but make sure they're crushed. The flavor will be slightly different too, but you'll still get a delicious sauce.
Other Delicious Vegan Pasta Recipes
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Easy Vegan Meat Sauce for Pasta
Equipment
- pot, saute pan
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 8oz package seitan crumbles
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1 large can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp dry oregano
- ½ tsp maple syrup
- 1 cup water
- ½ tsp salt
- crushed red pepper
- black pepper to taste
- nutritional yeast to taste
- 1 pound rigatoni
Instructions
- Put on water for pasta to cook on back burner and cook pasta according to the box while making the sauce
- In a large skillet heat the oil then add garlic and onions and cook for 3-4 minutes until toasty and fragrant
- Add seitan crumbles and bell peppers, and cook for 4 minutes
- Add tomatoes, water, oregano, and salt and simmer while you wait for the pasta to cook
- Stir in pasta, garnish with black pepper, crushed red pepper and nutritional yeast to your taste
- Serve with roasted veggies
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