This vibrant vegan spaghetti sauce is packed with flavor and pairs beautifully with any pasta! Made with simple pantry ingredients like canned tomatoes, onions, and crumbled tofu, it comes together in just 45 minutes.
We are big fans of tomatoes. Other than this recipe, we also love making our tofu in tomato sauce and vegan marinara sauce.
Store-bought sauces are convenient, but nothing compares to making your own! A little extra effort yields a bright, fresh sauce that beats any jarred one. I love adding tofu to boost the protein and nutrients and make the meal more balanced.
As a dietitian, I can't help but pair it with a side of greens, whether it be my braised celery, romaine avocado salad, or a simple tomato cucumber corn salad.
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💚Why you will love this tofu spaghetti sauce
- Rich, aromatic, and jam-packed with flavors
- A budget-friendly recipe calling for only simple ingredients
- Using canned tomatoes means saving time on chopping and prep
- Tofu makes a heartier sauce packed with protein
🍅What you will need
- Tofu - Press it beforehand either with a tofu press or by stacking something heavy on top.
- Crushed tomatoes - Can be substituted with passata, or canned diced tomatoes for a chunkier sauce.
- Sugar - A small amount balances the tomatoes' acidity.
- Worcestershire sauce - Optional, adds richness and a boost of umami to spaghetti sauce. Use a vegan one to keep this recipe plant-based.
- Chili flakes - Optional, omit for a spice-free recipe.
- Other additions - To further boost the flavor of vegan spaghetti sauce, feel free to add other dried herbs, including bay leaves, rosemary, or thyme!
🔪How to make vegan spaghetti sauce
Step 1: Crumble tofu with your hands into small pieces.
Step 2: Heat the pan over medium-high heat. Add tofu and cook for a few minutes, until slightly browned. Set aside.
Step 3: Add onion to the pan. Sauté for a few minutes until the onion is translucent and slightly caramelized.
Step 4: Add garlic, frying until fragrant.
Step 5: Add tomatoes and broth along with chili flakes and dry herbs. Allow sauce to simmer for 30 minutes on low heat.
Step 6: Stir in tofu crumbles, Worcester sauce, and sugar. Serve vegan spaghetti sauce over cooked pasta of choice.
✅Helpful tips
- Cooking time - The longer you simmer the sauce, the more the flavors will deepen. You can cook it for up to 45 minutes.
- Cooking on low heat - Helps prevent the sauce from splattering and the bottom from burning.
- Stir the sauce occasionally - Check it every 5-10 minutes. If it thickens too much, add a splash of water.
- Customize the sauce - You could also add finely chopped vegetables, such as celery and carrots, to boost the nutrients and fiber.
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🍝How to serve
This sauce is delicious over any cooked pasta! For extra protein, try stirring in chunks of vegan Italian sausage or vegan andouille sausage.
For sides, you could do classics like garlic bread or roasted vegetables. Air-fried Portobello mushrooms are a favorite of mine, and creamy soups like red lentil carrot soup or pumpkin potato soup pair beautifully with this spaghetti.
❄️Storing suggestion
Fridge - Leftover sauce can be refrigerated in a jar or container for 3-4 days.
Freezer - Portion the sauce out using souper cubes, then freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating - Allow frozen tofu spaghetti sauce to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Heat it up either in the microwave or on the stove. Tofu will turn chewy after freezing, but it will still be delicious!
?Commonly asked questions
Marinara sauce is a simple Italian tomato sauce made by simmering tomatoes with onion, garlic, and herbs. Spaghetti sauce is usually heartier, containing ground meat and vegetables like celery and carrots.
As for their taste, the marinara sauce is fresh and light. Because spaghetti sauce contains more ingredients, it has bolder, deeper flavors.
Runny spaghetti sauce is typically the result of adding too much water or not cooking it long enough to reduce the sauce. You can easily fix it by simmering it longer and thereby reducing the sauce.
If your sauce is still thin after simmering for an hour, add cornstarch slurry. Combine equal parts cornstarch and water, then gradually stir in slurry in stages, or until it reaches desired thickness.
🍽️More pasta sauces
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📖 Recipe
Hearty Vegan Spaghetti Sauce (with tofu)
Ingredients
- 1 block extra firm tofu drained and pressed
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes or passata
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Crumble tofu with your hands into small pieces.1 block extra firm tofu
- Heat ½ tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook for a few minutes, until lightly browned. Set aside.
- Heat another ½ tablespoon of oil in the pan over medium heat. Add onion and saute for a few minutes until the onion is translucent and slightly caramelized.1 medium yellow onion
- Stir in garlic and fry until fragrant, around 1 minute.4 cloves garlic
- Pour in canned tomatoes and broth along with tomato paste, chili flakes, and dried herbs. Allow mixture to simmer for 30 minutes on low heat.28 oz can crushed tomatoes, ¼ cup tomato paste, 1 cup vegetable broth, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Allow mixture to simmer for 30 minutes on low heat. Stir it every couple of minutes to prevent the bottom from burning.
- Stir in Worcestershire sauce, sugar, and tofu crumbles and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until ingredients are hot.1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- Give it a taste, seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with pasta or however you like!salt and pepper
Notes
- Cooking time - The longer you simmer the sauce, the more the flavors will deepen. You can cook it for up to 45 minutes.
- Cooking on low heat - Helps prevent the sauce from splattering and the bottom from burning.
- Customize the sauce - You could also add finely chopped vegetables, such as celery and carrots, to boost the nutrients and fiber.
Reheating - Allow frozen spaghetti sauce to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Heat it up either in the microwave or on the stove. Tofu will turn chewy after freezing, but it will still be delicious!
Save this recipe!
Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.
Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Wendy says
Hi. I've made this dish and I love it! I'd like to add some zucchini and mushroom. Do I just add them with the onion and fry them?
Jim Mee Sha says
Yes definitely, you can cook them together with the onions!