Meatless “Meat” Sauce

You won’t normally find this on our kitchen table…but this one was worth it

There’s definitely a lot going on in the news surrounding the meat industry these days. While you’re not reading this for me to talk your ear off about that, I do hope you’ll try this recipe! Its great for the environment and much healthier for you and your families. Plus, it’s delicious-and that says a lot coming from two people who rarely eat Italian food or cook it. Please try this at least once, you won’t be disappointed.

Meatless “Meat” Sauce

With chickpeas and mushrooms (enough for two pounds of pasta)

10 ounces cremini or button mushrooms

6 TBL olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 onion

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 (28 oz) can crushed or diced tomatoes

2 cups vegetable broth

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed

2 TBL dried or fresh basil

Directions

1. Pulse mushrooms in two batches in food processor until chopped into 1/8 inch pieces, about ten pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

2. Heat 5 TBL oil in tall skillet or ditch oven (go bigger than you think you need) until shimmering. Add mushrooms and 1 tsp salt and cook, stirring, about 8 minutes.

3. While mushrooms cook, pulse onion in food processor until chopped, about ten pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer onion to pot with mushrooms and cook about 5 minutes until onions ar translucent.

4. Add in tomato paste, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Add in tomatoes and broth and bring to simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to lie and summer for five minutes, stirring ocassionally.

5. While sauce simmers pulse chickpeas in food processor until chopped in 1/4 inch pieces, about ten pulses. Transfer chickpeas to strainer and rinse until water runs clear. Drain well. Add chickpeas to pot and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. Serve over pasta or serve in bowl with garlic bread to dip…..our favorite!

I really hope you try this recipe out sometime. Most of the time weird substitutions like this only resemble the actual food, not this one…it actually tastes like meat sauce! Completely healthy and allows for more garlic bread…which we all love….I’ll be sure to post that recipe next.