Cauliflower and walnut crumbles are seasoned, baked and smothered in zesty tomato sauce to make this veganized version of spaghetti with meat sauce.
I always get really nervous when I post recipes like this.
One, because it’s weird. Making vegan versions of meat-based dishes out of ingredients that don’t, at least on first glance, resemble meat at all, is weird. And I’m always afraid of scaring people away. But please don’t run!
There are a million ways to replicate meat sauce and I’ve posted many on this blog. But this one is different.
Here’s the thing: this one actually tastes pretty darn close to the real deal. Stuff like lentils, tempeh, and mushrooms all replicate the flavor or texture of crumbled meat to some degree, but not totally.
There are a bunch of recipes for cauliflower walnut taco meat circulating the internet, and I hear the mix can be pretty darn convincing. I thought the combination had some definite potential in spaghetti sauce. I thought right!
The other thing is that I’m not really satisfied with the name “meat sauce.” I know somebody is going to get mad at me for calling it that and I know it’s not meat, but I really didn’t know any other way to convey what this dish is all about. My husband asked why I didn’t name it ragú or Bolognese (or in his words “Bongo…bourgeoisie…whateveryoucallit), but it’s not technically either of those (and I’ve covered both here, here, and here).
This is really just a vegan version of good ol’ spaghetti with meat sauce. Nothing fancy. Like you ate when you were a kid. Like mom made.
So here’s how this works: cauliflower and walnuts get pulsed to a crumble in the food processor, then seasoned up with some ingredients that might seem a little weird, but trust me, they make the mix taste meaty. Then bake!
While that’s happening, simmer up a big pot of tomato sauce on the stove. The sauce part is nothing special. I mean, it’s delicious, but it’s really just my basic spaghetti sauce recipe. If you have a favorite, or even if you want to go with jarred sauce, by all means, do it! Everything gets mixed up at the end, which is important because otherwise the seasonings might cook out of the crumbles and into the sauce.
To me this tasted just like the spaghetti and meat sauce I grew up eating. It’s excellent winter comfort food!
Spaghetti with Cauliflower Walnut Meat Sauce
Cauliflower and walnut crumbles are seasoned, baked and smothered in zesty tomato sauce to make this veganized version of spaghetti with meat sauce.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 medium crown)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon organic granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 12 ounces dried spaghetti
Instructions
Begin my making the cauliflower walnut crumbles. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the cauliflower, walnuts, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, liquid smoke, onion powder, and garlic powder into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, stopping to scrape down the insides of the bowl as needed.
Distribute the mixture evenly on the baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until browned around the edges.
While the crumbles bake, coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté about 1 minute more, until very fragrant.
Stir in the wine and bring it to a simmer. Allow it to simmer until reduced by about half, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, and sugar. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and allow it to simmer, uncovered, until it thickens up a bit, about 25 minutes.
While the crumbles bake and the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it according to the package directions. When finished cooking, drain the pasta into a colander and return it to the pot. Toss with a dash of olive oil.
When the sauce finishes simmering, stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cauliflower-walnut crumbles.
Divide the pasta onto plates and top with sauce. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Store any leftover sauce and crumbles separately.
Hi there! I love your recipes! I am a health & wellness coach new to blogging. I would love to share some of your recipes on my website. How can I share? Just copy and paste your links? Want to make sure I do it all correct. New to all of this please help lol!
I’ve been thinking of doing this recipe for a long time. First, the local store was out of walnuts. Then cauliflower was not in season and I forgot about it. Finally, all the stars aligned. The first instruction was to preheat the oven. Oops, I only have a cooktop. Improvising, I put in in a no-stick frying pan with a medium heat and stirred often. Not only did this work, but it took less time. The results were great. A definite “do again”. BTW, I’ve used this method with the meatball recipes and it worked well also, but a bit more care had to betaken with the turning.
Awesome! I’ll have to give it a try on the stove top next time. :) I’m so glad you enjoyed this! Thanks so much Marc!
Just made this and it’s great. Added shitake mushrooms with the garlic, which always makes things a little more meaty. The only thing was that it was that the sauce was a little sweet for my taste. Possibly the wine I used wasn’t dry enough. I know sugar is used to mellow out the acidity of the tomatoes. Wondering if there’s something else that could be used instead?
I’m glad you enjoyed it!! If your wine is a bit on the sweet side you could just leave out the sugar. I’ve also heard that a little baking soda works, but I haven’t tried that.
In my family we always use grated carrot instead of sugar, it melts into the sauce and the sweetness cuts the acidity of the tomato! I’m going to try your recipe tonight…
Sounds delicious! I’ll have to give it a try. I hope you enjoy this!
Hi! You can use carrots instead of sugar!
Carrots work. Chopped finely
don’t make excuses for not being 100% on the meat and cruelty train, and actually posting something healthy. you’re totally brainwashed if you think a veg or vegan recipe is “weird.” personally i think torturing animals and slaughtering and eating them is weird.
Perfect comment. You’re exactly right!
This looks fantastic but I’m wondering if you can taste the walnuts? I so can’t stand walnuts so I’m hesitant to make it as I won’t be able to stomach it if there’s even a hint of walnut flavour. If you can taste them, what would you recommend as a substitution?
I wasn’t able to taste them, but I’m also not particularly sensitive to their flavor. I’ve heard from a few readers that had success with pecans, so you could substitute those if you like. :)
If you don’t use the wine do you use half a cup of vinegar
Oh no – it would end up way to sour! If you don’t drink wine you can just leave it out. :)
This was absolutely amazing the leftovers were even better! I made a double batch and froze the sauce and crumbles separately.
My family doesn’t love chunks of tomatoes or diced onions so I should have known better to blend the sauce before serving but I know for next time and I’m sure it will be a hit with them the next time after making that small change! Love!
Yay!! I’m so glad it was a hit!!
I’ve been wanting to try this for monthe and finally got around to it. We didn’t have crushed tomatoes so we tried adding a little more diced but I don’t think it was enough. Plus we left out the red wine and possibly overcooked the crumbles so I think the sauce came out dry. Definitely want to try using the stovetop next time.
I wasnt too sure about walnuts and cauliflower together but man, was I wrong. We ate two bowls right away, it was so good. I am making another gigantic batch and will freeze it for later use.
Awesome!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hello great recipe. I mixed the crumbles with sauce and there’s still loads left over. How many days will it keep in fridge? Can i freeze it even if sauce and crumbles mixed? Also how do i get the walnuts soft? I had a pain blending crumbles as blender not powerful enough but i thought everything would soften anyway but it didnt. Was still yum but woukd like to perfect.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! The leftovers should be good for about 3 days in the fridge, and I think they’ll freeze just fine – even if everything is mixed! If you like the walnuts a bit softer you could try soaking them in water for a bit – just be careful not to overdo it when blending them, because I could see this resulting in them turning to mush.
It’s delicious! Thank you.
I’m so glad you liked it!
I can’t stop eating the cauliflower walnut meat. It may not make it in the sauce.
This is delicious.
Yay! I’m glad you like it!
Well, thought I’d give this a go for our dinner tonight. I chose to do the stove top method for the crumbles so that I could see the browning progress! Can’t believe how like real mince it looks when done!!
We will have the meal tonight but from what I’ve tasted so far, it’s delicious!!
I’m glad you think so!! Enjoy!
Hi!, if I prepare the sauce ahead of time ariound 3 hours before supper is it better to add the crumble just before serving or I can add it now and save the sauce in the refrigerator till supper time. Thanks!
If you’re able to, I would add the crumble just before serving.
It was tasty but not enough wet sauce. I may increase the amount of crushed and diced tomatoes next time.
You can absolutely use more tomatoes if you like it saucier! :)
Hi, can you substitute any other nuts for the walnuts? Thank you…
A few readers have told me they had luck with pecans. :)
This was a bust for me! Haha. I’ll bookmark it for later… I don’t use my blender often, but the “pulse” option turned it into a mushy puree that couldn’t be saved. Seeing the “chop” button sooner would’ve helped. I also had only a quarter cup of walnuts so I added a bunch of pistachios, which accentuated that soy sauce flavor. I’ll try chopping by hand in the future and will report back.
Oh no! Chopping by hand should work just fine. Good luck!
LOVE a The flavour and texture of the meat replacement using the cauliflower and walnuts.
Wondering if I could use my Instant Pot with the exception of baking the cauliflower walnut mixture?
Debra
I’m afraid I’m not sure! I think it would work, but I don’t have an Instant Pot yet.
Amazing and delicious sauce. Definitely a te do and husband asked for this to be made weekly! Non vegan son loved it too! Thank you!!!
Yay! Glad it’s a hit!
Hi, I have to make a vegan ‘meat’ sauce for Shrove Tuesday…Pancake Night. Like this recipe but do I need to use the yeast?
Thank you.
The nutritional yeast adds some flavor, but you can certainly leave it out if you prefer.
Hello Alissa.
I made this recipe and it was so delicious! My husband & daughter both loved it! I am going to use the cauliflower/walnut “meat” in other vegan recipes. I believe it will take on the flavors of whatever dish I’m preparing.
Yay! Glad it’s a hit! And yes, you can absolutely use it in other dishes and even play around with the seasonings based on what you’re making. :)
Hi Alyssa.
Can I make a large batch of the cauliflower walnut meat & freeze it for different recipes?
Thanks Amy Crockett
Absolutely! I think that’s a great idea!
This receipe is a winner! Made it for my GF’s birthday dinner and she loved it. Will make it for Omni family next month. Thanks!
So happy to hear it! I hope your family enjoys it too!!
So good! Trying to have more meatless meals and this is a great one. I had mine with spaghetti squash.
Great idea! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Tasted great, but I loaded the recipe into MyFitness Pal, and even after I omitted the sugar and fake smoke stuff, it was still over 800 calories per serviing, almost double what was listed in the nutritional facts.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! The nutrition info is always an estimate and will vary depending on the brands of products you use, but 800 calories is definitely way off. I just plugged the recipe into MyFitnessPal myself, and found a bunch of mistakes, including accounting 662 calories for the garlic powder and 1341 for the garlic cloves. I’d never use garlic in my cooking again if those numbers were correct. :)
Super delicious and hearty! This one is a winner.
I’m happy to hear it! Thanks Morgan!
YOU can use this meat for tacos as well!
Just made this and LOVED IT! Question – after “finely” processing the mixtures in my food processor, the resulting “crumbles” were more of a paste. Did I over process the mixture? Can’t wait to make it again, and thank you for this delicious recipe.
I’m so glad you loved it! It does sound like you over-processed it though – that’s so easy to do! I always just pulse it instead of hitting the blend button and letting it go.
Holy heck used the cauliflower nut base to make stuffed peppers. Could eat piles of this by itself but had to be a little extra and waa so glad I did!
Great idea! I’m glad you like it!
This is great! I put it over spaghetti squash because I had one on hand, and it turned out lovely. The nutritional yeast defiantly gives it a cheese-like flavor, which was a lovely surprise. I disagree with you on your marinara recipe though. It is also fabulous. I had never added wine to mine, and I’ll never go back. I had leftovers for lunch, and four people came around because of the wonderful smell — pretty sure because of the marinara. I’ll be making this again soon.
Great idea to serve it over spaghetti squash! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks Faith!
this is really the best recipe for vegan bolonjez and I tryed a lot of them :) I made a few adjustments, for my taste: 1 cup of wine was too muchn for me so I put less and I usually use the white wine.. also i always use a little bit of date/agava syrup instead of sugar. At last 375° i really dont understand, it is way too high, my oven doesnt even have that option :) Cauliflower gets toasted too soon so decreased the temperature :) thank you for the idea :)
Glad you enjoyed it! The temperature is in fahrenheit (I just made an edit to clarify that), so it would be around 190C. :)
I have made this recipe so many times now. It is our go to spaghetti recipe. First time I made it, my son said it was the best spaghetti I had ever made and couldn’t believe that it was not meat. Love having a great vegan recipe even company would enjoy.
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks Kelly!
This looks AMAZING! And I would love to make it. I can not have alcohol/wine though and wondering if you have a suggestion for an alternative to the wine?
Thank you! You can just leave it out. Enjoy!!
Alissa! You are heaven sent! I couldn’t do this lifestyle if I hadn’t come across your videos! This recipe is by far my favorite and my 8 yr old asks me to make it everytime now! I’m actually looking forward to eating healthy now! Thanks a million❤❤❤
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you so much Gyna!
This is by far my favorite pasta and tomato sauce recipe
Yay! I’m glad you’re enjoying it!
Hey! We made this yesterday and it was absolutely delicious! A meat eater guest praised it! Do you think the cauliflower walnut mixture can be used for tacos? Would you change any of the seasonings? Thanks so much for this extremely tasty recipe!! We will definitely make it again!!
I’m glad it was a hit! And absolutely! You could probably use a premixed taco seasoning, or your own blend – chili powder, cumin, oregano, and some ancho chile powder are my go-to taco spices.
I recently made this recipe for the family I work for. Everyone gobbled it and they called it impressive! Thank you! I also love that all the ingredients are what I tend to keep on hand.
Wonderful! I’m glad it was a hit!
I think this is the first time I have commented on a recipe. But I absolutely love this one!! I am not vegan but do make a lot of vegan and vegetarian meals. I don’t miss the meat at all in this recipe. Also, I have frozen leftovers with the cauli-nut mixture in it and it is just fine. It didn’t get mushy at all. Wonderful!!!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that! And thank you for sharing your results with freezing it – that’ll be helpful to a lot of others, I’m sure! Thanks Kim!
If I decide to use jarred sauce what size should I get?
You’ll need about 5 cups of sauce, so if you buy two 24-ounce jars you’ll have just a bit leftover.
This is really delicious! My kids can’t get enough of it.
I’m glad it’s a hit!
I’m so happy I found this recipe, it was absolutely delicious. Best vegan meat sauce I’ve tried so far. I’m adding this to my list of favourite recipes that I make over and over again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Jasmin!