I’ve been thinking about what to make from “soy chorizo,” that mystery product that Hegui discovered lurking on the shelves of Trader Joe’s recently. I guess it’s intended as a meat alternative. So what could be better than taking a stab at the ultimate Italian meaty pasta dish: Bolognaise ragu, or as we called it at home when I was a kid, spaghetti with meat sauce?
vegetarian Bolognaise ragu
This dish repulsed me as a child. My mother used ground beef which left these fatty pools and droplets over everything. Plus the meat itself got too firm and rubbery. Gross!
The texture of soy chorizo is softer and I like the spiciness of whatever exactly is in the weird thing. This dish was easy to make and really successful. I used rigatoni for its meaty texture but any pasta would work.
vegetarian Bolognaise ragu
12 tomatoes (I used early girl dry farmed tomatoes from the farmers market)
2 tbsp tomato paste
½ soy chorizo, outer casing removed
3 small sweet yellow and orange bell peppers, diced fine
1 onion, diced fine
1 medium carrot, diced fine
1 tsp. dry oregano
1 small cup dry white wine (I didn’t have any so used a little tequila)
2 tsp salt or to taste
1 cup water (or vegetable stock)
Black and crushed red pepper to taste
4 tbsp. olive oil
Parmesan cheese
Package of rigatoni, cooked per directions
early girl tomatoes
soy chorizo
Peel tomatoes by removing woody ends, cutting a cross on the reverse side and immersing in boiling water for a few minutes. The skin will begin to curl off the fruit. Remove from water and allow to cool. Peel skin and discard. Roughly chop tomatoes.
Heat olive oil in large pan. Add diced peppers and carrot, tomato paste, soy chorizo, salt and oregano. Sauté for a few minutes until vegetables become soft. Add wine (or tequila) and allow alcohol to boil off. Add fresh tomatoes, water, and black and red pepper. Bring sauce to boil then simmer for about twenty minutes.
Cook pasta. Drain and toss with sauce. Mix in parmesan and sprinkle some on top. We enjoyed this with a medium bodied red wine.