This cauliflower bolognese is a great way to pack lots of veggies into your family's diet. And it's super filling too.
Using finely chopped cauliflower and mushrooms makes for a really luscious alternative to beef mince, and also means this recipe happens to be vegetarian and vegan-friendly!
This brilliant cauliflower bolognese recipe, which was a huge hit with my kids, is from Ciara Attwell's latest cookbook, The Fuss-Free Family Cookbook, which contains 100 healthy, easy, quick recipes for all the family.
Ciara, also known as the author of hugely popular family food blog My Fussy Eater, is truly an expert when it comes to feeding families a wide range of nutritious, interesting meals.
The Fuss-Free Family Cookbook promises no more separate meals for adults and children, and so each recipe comes with tips as to how a meal might be tweaked to suit smaller palates. It's very clever!
To make this delicious cauliflower bolognese, you'll start by popping cauliflower florets and mushrooms in the food processor and breaking them down into small pieces.
Next, you'll sweat onion down in a little olive oil, then added the whizzed up cauliflower and mushrooms, alongside diced carrots, diced celery and crushed garlic.
When the veggies have sweated down, you'll add tinned chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, balsamic vinegar, dried rosemary and dried thyme and simmer for 20 minutes until reduced and packed with flavour, ready to serve on your favourite pasta.
This cauliflower bolognese recipe is a great introduction to Ciara's recipes.
Read on for the full recipe with detailed instructions and a helpful photograph for every step. And if you have any questions, just leave me a comment. Enjoy!
Ingredients
For the bolognese sauce
- 1 small cauliflower approx. 400g
- 300 g (10 oz) mushrooms
- ½ tbsp oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 carrots diced
- 1 stick celery diced
- 800 g (28 oz) canned chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp dried thyme
To serve
- 350 g (12 oz) pasta
- 50 g (½ cup) Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese alternative shaved or grated
- fresh basil leaves
Instructions
Chop the cauliflower into small florets and transfer to a food processor.
Blitz until the cauliflower reaches rice consistency.
Remove the cauliflower from the food processor and add the mushrooms.
Blitz until finely chopped.
Add the oil and onion to a large frying pan or shallow casserole dish on the hob.
Cook for 4 minutes.
Add the garlic, carrots and celery, along with the blitzed cauliflower and mushrooms.
Cook for 5 minutes.
Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, balsamic vinegar, rosemary and thyme. Season with a little salt and pepper and mix well.
Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
Serve the bolognese on top of the cooked pasta.
Enjoy!
You can garnish with grated Parmesan and fresh basil, if you like.
Once you've given my recipe a go, I'd love you to come back and leave a comment letting me know how yours turned out.
I'd love to see your videos and pics, too! Just tag me on social media. I'm @emilylearycooks on Twitter and TikTok or @amummytoo on Instagram.
And don't forget to pick up Ciara Attwell's latest cookbook, The Fuss-Free Family Cookbook for more healthy, easy, quick recipes for all the family.
Print this cauliflower bolognese recipe
Cauliflower Bolognese Recipe
Ingredients
For the bolognese sauce
- 1 small cauliflower approx. 400g
- 300 g (10 oz) mushrooms
- ½ tbsp oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 carrots diced
- 1 stick celery diced
- 800 g (28 oz) canned chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp dried thyme
To serve
- 350 g (12 oz) pasta
- 50 g (½ cup) Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese alternative shaved or grated
- fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Chop the cauliflower into small florets and transfer to a food processor. Blitz until the cauliflower reaches rice consistency.
- Remove the cauliflower from the food processor and add the mushrooms. Blitz until finely chopped.
- Add the oil and onion to a large frying pan or shallow casserole dish on the hob and cook for 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic, carrots and celery, along with the blitzed cauliflower and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, balsamic vinegar, rosemary and thyme. Season with a little salt and pepper and mix well.
- Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
- Serve the bolognese on top of the cooked pasta and garnish with grated Parmesan and fresh basil.
Notes
Nutrition
More cauliflower recipes to try
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