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A bowl of rigatoni dressed with fake Bolognese sauce and Parmesan cheese, on a wooden surface.
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Venezuelan Fake Bolognese Sauce

A hearty, colorful veggie sauce ready in under an hour, built on a Venezuelan sofrito that delivers the kind of deep, satisfying flavor you'd expect from a meat sauce — no meat required.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Pastas, Sauces
Cuisine: Venezuelan
Keyword: Fake Bolognese sauce recipe, how to make fake Bolognese sauce, how to make veggie ragú, Veggie marinara sauce recipe, Veggie pasta sauce recipe, Veggie ragú recipe, What is Bolognese sauce, What is veggie ragú
Servings: 8
Calories: 336kcal
Author: Enri

Ingredients

  • 1 package rigatoni 1 lb / 456 g
  • ¼ cup olive oil 60 ml
  • 1 cup onion, ground in a food processor 160 g
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced, 20 g
  • 1 cup red bell pepper, de-veined and seeded, ground in a food processor 150 g
  • 1¾ cups carrots, coarsely ground in a food processor 210 g
  • 4 cups tomatoes, canned crushed or petite diced 960 ml
  • 1 can tomato paste 6 oz - 170 g
  • 2 tablespoons beef concentrate such as Better Than Bouillon 30 g — skip for vegetarian or vegan
  • Freshly grated Parmesan for serving

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large deep pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the ground bell pepper, stir, and cook for 5 more minutes until softened.
  • Stir in the carrots and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
  • Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef concentrate. Stir well and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  • Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce thickens and the flavors come together.
  • Meanwhile, cook the rigatoni al dente according to package directions.
  • Spoon the sauce over the hot pasta and finish with freshly grated Parmesan to taste.

Video

Notes

  1. Vegetarian/vegan: skip the beef concentrate and season with salt to taste. The beef concentrate adds depth, but the Venezuelan sofrito carries the sauce beautifully on its own.
  2. Freeze the sauce without the pasta in individual portions — a lifesaver on busy weeknightsThis sauce is even better the next day.
  3. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 485mg | Potassium: 650mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 5523IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 3mg