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!
Looking for more pasta dinners? Check out my collection of 20 delicious vegan pasta recipes!
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📖 Recipe
Spaghetti with Cauliflower Walnut Meat Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 medium crown)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ 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
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon organic granulated sugar
- ¼ 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.
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I think I over blitzed the cauliflower and walnut mixture, it was really moist, so then I thought the crumble should be a bit drier..... been in the oven about 40 minutes; still moist
Hmmm...that's odd! Was your cauliflower wet from washing? That or an oven temp issue are the only things I can think of.
One of our staple meals! We all love this including our seven-year-old and four-year-old ... And our staunchest of carnivore friends! We could barely tell from the first time we tried it that it wasn't meat! Hack alert: frozen cauliflower rice… hoping it will shave off… TIME ... on a busy school night ... I admit it, I'm a slow prepper! 😂
I'm so glad you're enjoying this! Great idea to use frozen cauliflower rice - thanks for the tip!
Made this a couple days ago and it was very good! I am still eating it. I will make this again and again. Thank you!
I'm so glad you're enjoying it! Thanks Kathleen!
Can you make the cauliflower walnut mixture the day before? Or make it and freeze it? I'm the only vegan in the house, plus after a long day, just mixing a good sauce with this will make a quick dinner.
You can definitely make it ahead of time, and I'm pretty sure freezing it will work, though I haven't tried this myself. I'd love to hear how it works out if you try!
hi very good I added my own made tomato sauce which has tomato paste in made from oven roasted tomatoes no oil. Then I omitted the sugar not necessary to my personal taste added more spices instead paprika was lovely thank you.
You are so welcome! Sounds like some successful improvisation! I'm so glad you liked it! Enjoy!
We really enjoyed this recipe. The ‘meatiness’ of the cauliflower -walnut mixture even positively surprised the meat lover at out table tonight! This really is a recipe that will stick on my favourite recipes if I want to serve an alternative pasta! Thanks a lot for sharing this!
I'm so glad it was a hit!! Thanks so much Wijnand!
As a new Vegan, I am trying to put a cookbook together of delicious “go to” meals I can count on! This recipe is being printed immediately! I absolutely love everything about it! Thank you for your amazing experimentation! This is such a winner!
Stephanie from Alaska
It was FABULOUS! I make at least 5 new blogger recipes every week. After a while, you begin to notice a pattern. Yours ALWAYS turns out delicious for me. The "meat" was SO good all by itself, I was afraid I had eaten too much by the time the sauce was finished.... and I put a little aside to snack on later. Just a beautiful dish.
You indicate the nutritional values but didn’t see a serving size. Can you please clarify. Thanks
The recipe serves 6, so it's 1/6 of the entire batch. :)
I am amazed how good this dish turned out to be. I will make it often and next time add mushrooms. Only advice is don't over process the cauliflower/walnut mixture. You want to enjoy the meatiness of the veggies.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Mushrooms sound like a delicious addition. Thanks Michaele!
This “meat” is amazing. A friend of mine used this recipe as the base for a vegetarian lasaythat she made for my birthday dinner. I absolutely LOVED it! I too have made the meat sauce, and will be making it over and over again
Thank you, Helen C
Lasagne? That sounds awesome. I'll have to try it! Thank you for the comment!
Thank you for this recipe. Absolutely amazing, you would think you are eating meat sauce.
You are welcome! Thank you for reading and commenting! Enjoy!
Thanks for sharing the amazing recipe. Don’t feel bad about the term meat in your recipe. Nuts have meat hence the term walnut meat.
Thank you! That's an excellent way of looking at it! :)
What is the role of the Nutritional Yeast? Can I exclude it from the recipe?
It adds a savory, cheesy flavor. You can skip it if you like. :)
I made this last night for dinner Fall I can say is OMG it's excellent! I used zucchini noodles instead of pasta because I am trying to limit my carbs. My husband said it was restaurant grade (his highest honor for my cooking that he gives). It's wonderful for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. I doubled the recipe for the sauce to make sure we had plenty (which I did). Next time I would make it on a weekend because it took me about 1 1/2 hours to make the sauce. I didn't have any nutritional yeast (and it's hard to find in the grocery store) so I had to leave that out. It was still wonderful!
Awesome!! I'm so glad you both enjoyed it! Thanks Flo!
Getting really excited making this for my boyfriend tomorrow. He's a meat eater trying give him another option. Wish me luck everyone
Good luck!! I hope you both enjoy ti!
This was AMAZING! I had to use my own sauce recipe but the “meat” sauce was phenomenal. I used it again along with black beans for tacos. My new “go-to”! Thank you!
Awesome!! I bet this was excellent as taco filling!! Thanks so much Ryan!
I am getting ready for the birth of my second chikd and would like to make and freeze this for when we come back from the hospital. Is that a good idea? Will it thaw ok?
Thanks!!
I haven't frozen it myself, but I think it would be fine!
I made this for dinner tonight and my kids had no idea that the sauce didn't contain any meat. They loved it and gave me compliments for "the amazing meat sauce". This recipe will definitely go into my "favorites cookbook"! I'm always looking for ways to trick my kids into eating meatless.😅 Thank you so much for this great recipe!!!
I'm so glad it was a hit!! Thanks Bianca!
Could you use almonds or cashews? I am allergic to walnuts
Can you have pecans? I heard from a reader that used them and it worked! Otherwise I'd say try almonds, and I'd love to hear how it works if you do!
I made this today for dinner and it was delicious! I didn’t see the note about keeping the crumbles and sauce separately until I had already mixed everything together. Will it be ok for a couple of days?
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! I think it will be fine for a few days. :)
Hey, I'm going to try this sauce myself today, really looking forward to it, especially after all of the comments.
I'm intrigued to know though, why do the crumbles and the sauce need to be frozen separately, please advise?
It's not absolutely necessary, but the crumbles might change texture a bit as they soak up the sauce. Enjoy!!
Allisa, this Cauliflower/Walnut Spaghetti Sauce is outstanding!! I doubled the recipe and was able to share it with a new mom who was in need of some nourishment. We couldn’t get enough of this sauce eating it everyday til it was gone. The flavours are so rich and meaty tasting. Superb! Thank you!!!!
Yay!! I'm so happy to hear that!! Thanks so much!
we're here for the "weird" recipes! ;) keep 'em coming!
Hah! Glad to hear it, and I absolutely will!
OMG, I made this last night for dinner and it is FANTASTIC! I only think next time for myself I would cut the red wine vinegar in half for the meat mixture as once added to the sauce I found it a bit to acidic. I just added a little extra sweetener. I used my own marinara as I did not have some of the things yours called for. I can't wait to try this meat mix for tacos!r This recipe is a keeper for me and I will make this again for sure. I had left overs today for both lunch AND supper I love it so much. At lunch I had a friend over who is not vegan and she also loved it! Great, great recipe! Thank you.
I'm so happy to hear that!! Thanks Karla!
Amazing! So “meaty” for a vegetarian sauce. Delish! Thanks!
It is, isn't it?! Glad you enjoyed it!
I am currently making this and OMG IS IT DELICIOUS!!!! Sauce is still simmering but not only does my house smell delicious, the ‘meat’ is fantastic!!!! Thank you for this glorious recipe!
Yay!! I hope you enjoy it!!
As a new vegan I was honestly a bit skeptical. I made the sauce a day before I served it with rice pasta. It was delicious absolutely delightful! With savory recipes as this I believe this new journey of eating plant based can work for me!
Thank you, thank you!
Next time adding mushrooms. 😊
I was a bit skeptical myself, but that happens quite a bit with some of my favorite recipes. :) I'm glad you enjoyed it! Mushrooms sound like a great addition!
A new vegan
I rarely leave reviews on recipes but this was just so damn good that I had to take a moment to thank you for sharing it. As a fairly new vegan, I thought meat sauce was right out. This could fool and satisfy even the most devout carnivore. I didn't change a thing and followed it exactly with surprisingly delicious results. In all honesty, this is one of the best tomato sauces I have ever had, vegan or otherwise. My husband was blown away by just how good it was. Fortunately, we have leftovers for tonight as well!
You have gained yourself another follower. I am looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Thanks again!
Awesome!! I'm so glad you both enjoyed it! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review on this one!
Super, DUPER delicious. Amazing texture and taste, couldn’t tell it was cauliflower at all. Thanks for the recipe!
Yay!! Glad you like it! Thanks Lauren!
made this for the first time tonight was killer amazing even the meat eaters in my family has 2nds thanks for a awesome recipe
That's awesome!! I'm glad it was a hit! Thanks Renee!
Just made this - so hearty and delicious!! And so easy!!! Can't wait to try more of your recipes!!
I'm glad you like it!! Thanks Jeanette!
Good morning,
Thank you for this great recipe. I’m just making a double batch of this recipe and I’m just about to add the crumbles to the sauce. I noted on the recipe that you said to store left over sauce and crumbles separately. I am confused cause all will be mixed together.. Please clarify. Thank you.
Hi Lil! Sorry about that! If you anticipate having leftovers I'd split everything up before mixing so that you can store the sauce and crumbles separately.
We had an Alissa weekend. Yesterday was the salisbury steak meatballs (revisited---as fabulous as I remembered---froze some meatballs and will use leftovers from the meat sauce without the meat) as a future lunch.
This was incredible! The sauce itself was deep and thick---almost meaty without any meat. Made it exactly as written without fresh basil---store was out of it (was able to get lightly dried basil). And the walnut-cauliflower meat was superb! My husband was picking random crumbles off the baking sheet as we were putting it into a container for leftovers (separately, just as you suggested---which is great that you did---I would have realized not to combine, but a less experienced cook might not). We will be having this a lot. Will also use the "meat" on tacos/tostadas. And we may try using it as a ground beef substitute in a Chinese dish called Ants Climb A Tree (the ants are the ground meat, tree is the noodles, soy sauce, ginger, scallions, carrots, etc.). Used to use TVP but haven't bought that for years, so we haven't made the dish for years).
Just amazing. And so healthy---walnuts, cauliflower, and tons of tomatoes. Yum. Yum. And more yum.
And yup, I did have two "meat" dishes back to back. I'll never eat meat again, but sometimes I crave meaty stuff, and Atlanta and has been so cold. Both meals were so satisfying.
My taste buds are still doing a happy dance! I love your recipes. Your blog is my happy place to come to---so much better than reading about politics and terrible things. THANK YOU!!!!!
Haha! I was snacking on the crumbles from the baking sheet too! I'm glad you liked it!! And I'm VERY intrigued by this ants climbing a tree dish (totally new to me - I just googled it). I'd love to hear how that turns out. Thank you so much Ellen - I'm so glad you're enjoying the recipes!!
I've been so excited to try this recipe! I'm currently in the middle of making a double batch. While making the crumble, it pulsed into more of a paste than the desired crumble effect. It's in the oven now, but just currious if this has happened with anyone else, and if there's any tips to make it the right texture for sauce? Thanks in advance!
Oh no! Be careful - it's easy to overdo it in the food processor! I hope it turned out okay!
Hi. We have just started eating this way less than a week ago and I'm 100% Italian and was so discouraged about not having my spaghetti and meatballs. I just went on Facebook looking for something to make for dinner saw this recipe and I had all the ingredients and I made it. And this sauce is delicious, it tastes just like the real thing. Thank you so much I will be making this over and over again
That's so great to hear!! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Barb!
Amazingly delicious. My carnivore husband also love it. I cooked the onions and garlic without oil. I used filtered water instead and it turned out great. Also, I didn’t have fresh basil and wished I had. It probably would have been better. I used dried instead. Still this was a great dish.
Awesome!! I'm so glad you both enjoyed it!
I made this today for Sunday Night Dinner. Next time I'll make double so it stretches into the work week a little longer. the seasonings were just right. I'm a "cook by the recipe" type, except when I used to make my own meatballs and sauce (pre-vegan). Some recipes that I've tried from other vegan recipe sites fall flat on flavor, but this one delivered. Thanks!
I'm glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks so much Barb!
I couldn't wait to make this recipe. When my husband saw it, he said "Oh you made meat sauce!". After
he had a bowl he said how delicious it was. I told him it was cauliflower and walnuts. He had another bowl
the very next day for breakfast. Making your gumbo next. looks awesome. You are so creative.
That's great! It does look a lot like meat sauce! :) I'm so glad you both enjoyed it!
This recipe is a real winner! Made it for dinner and everyone loved it. Next time I might try it either without the liquid smoke, or a tad less, as I sometimes find the flavor of it a bit overwhelming. Your blog is just absolutely dynamite.
Yay!! I'm glad it was a hit!! Thanks so much Claudia. :)
Trader Joe’s has a smoked olive oil. I used a T of that for the onion sauté and it worked well.
Sounds so good and I would like to make it - any red wine replacement suggestions? None for religious reasons. Thanks!
You could get away with leaving it out, or maybe try adding a few splashes of balsamic vinegar to get some intensity of flavor. :) I'd love to hear how it works out if you try!
What if you boil some sun dried tomatoes and use the stock from that?
Sounds tasty! I think the tomatoes would give it a nice smoky flavor and I'd love to hear how it turns out if you try!
There are some really good non-alcoholic wines available too if that's an option for you.
Another winner! I'm new to your blog but I am so glad I found you! Every recipe I've tried so far has been fantastic. Thank you for sharing it all with us!
This is truly genious! it looks so amazing and tasty, this is something I have to make! thanks for the recipe :)
Thanks Albert!! I hope you enjoy it!
Alissa, this looks fantastic and I love your recipes. But....(I hate to ask "substitution" questions but here goes) I'm allergic to walnuts. No other nuts cause a problem, and, as I've never been able to taste any recipes using walnuts in this manner I don't know what, if anything, I could sub for similar results. What are your thoughts? I SO WANT TO MAKE THIS. :)
Hi Barb! I think pecans would be your best bet! The flavor is a bit different, but I think the seasonings would cover that up. Almonds or even sunflower seeds could work too. I'd love to hear how it turns out if you try the recipe with substitutions!
I, too, am allergic to walnuts and googled substitutions for walnuts... and it also came up with the pecans, so that is what I made it with the other day. I simply cannot believe how wonderful this recipe is. I had never heard of your site, but thankfully, I stumbled across this recipe. It was truly wonderful and I am finding the leftovers are even better a day or two later. I had mixed all the crumbles and sauce together because I somehow missed the note, so it became a more like sloppy joe consistency that still works well over pasta and I am sure will work well over potatoes or toast or whatever else I can think over. Thank you , I will definitely be checking out other recipes on your site.
I'm glad to hear pecans worked in this! And I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks so much Nora!
I substituted pecans, now out of allergies but just because we prefer their taste.
Dear Alissa,
I absolutely love your recipes. I have a16 year old Vegan daughter who is eating very well indeed thanks to you.
I am a lifetime foodie and appreciate your adventurous spirit and experiments with food.
Keep on posting!!!
Thank you so much Rashmi! I'm so happy to hear that!! I will absolutely keep on posting! :)
I said it last year and it's true this year!! The amount and quality of your recipes are some of the best on the web!!Had your spicey peanut butter tofu and zoodles today,sweet potatoes and raspberry sauce yesterday and this will be made on the weekend. This sauce looks soooooo good.
Thanx for all your work.
Dave
Thanks so much Dave!! I'm glad you're enjoying them!! I hope you like this one too!
Will give this a try
Gail from Ohio
I hope you enjoy!!
what a cool idea, and I will make it with zucchini noodles too, I am going to make this this is great
I think this would be excellent with zoodles!
Not weird at all. I've had cauliflower as taco meat. I've had walnuts as meat sauce. Didn't think to combine the two...but that's where you come in! The rest of the ingredients sound fabulous in this. Sounds like such a deep sauce. Red wine and liquid smoke? Yup! This will definitely be on the menu for next week (the rest of this week is already planned---sadly, because now I am really craving this!). And probably your gumbo as well. Guess it can be tomato week next week...
It is really intense - just how I like my sauce! I hope you enjoy it, and the gumbo too!
Oh my goodness, what an awesome healthy comfort food recipe! This looks SO yummy! I love the use of cauliflower and walnuts for the "meat" - genius!
Thanks Ameera! Yes, this is definitely comfort food!
Does this sauce freeze well and why do you have to store the left over crumble and tomato sauce separate;y?
I am wondering the same thing. Also I’m trying to determine where all the fat is—just the walnuts? I sauté in veggie broth so omit the olive oil
The fat comes from the walnuts and olive oil. You could try using less nuts if you like. And I've heard from a few readers that had success freezing it, and storing the sauce and crumbles together. :)