This spicy vegan meatless sauce is packed with flavor and protein, and is a great meat-free option to serve with your favorite pasta. Healthy, gluten-free and flavor-full!
By now we’ve talked in detail about my obsession with Italian food. Especially sauce. Pasta I can take or leave, but there must be a good, flavorful sauce.
I am an equal opportunity eater, so generally I just brown up some ground turkey for my meat sauce, but I am always looking for options for my vegetarian and vegan friends. When GardeinTM reached out to me about creating a recipe, I was so excited to try something new. And the verdict? It was absolutely delicious. For vegetarians, and non-vegetarians alike!
I have to admit, I have never been great about doing my research about the impact the food we choose has our environment. Did you know that if every American ate meatless just once a week it would be equivalent to half a million cars being taken off the roads each year? That’s crazy to me! In addition, it takes approximately 2500 gallons of water to produce 1 lb of beef whereas it takes only 50 gallons of water for a plant-based meal–this is the equivalent water savings if you didn’t shower for 6 months! I know many people worry about getting protein when going meatless, but Gardein offers 12 grams of protein (hence the name: garden + protein!) for every 1/2 cup of their beefless ground for only 80 calories! Ummm, SCORE!
One taste of this sauce, and you’ll be all about this deliciously meat-free option!
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp fresh or dried basil
- 2 tsp crushed red pepper (more or less depending on desired spiciness)
- generous pinch each salt and pepper
- 2 cups Gardein Beefless Ground
- In a large pan, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until fragrant. Add crushed tomato and spices. When sauce starts to bubble, reduce heat to a simmer. Add the beefless ground and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Serve immediately.
Here is a great video on Gardein’s #MeetChef campaign!
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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Gardein . The opinions and text are all mine.