Tempeh Bolognese + Basil Pea Pesto

Hi friends!

Hope you are having a lovely day! I know times are quite uncertain right now and that it can feel like a lot at times. I hope that you are managing and finding ways to take care and support yourself. This could look like taking a walk outside (while keeping distance) and really taking in your surroundings, taking a bath, cooking a nourishing meal or simply doing anything that fills you up!

I am sharing with you today a recipe that is a go to around my household. My partner could eat pasta for every meal of the day if he had it his way- so this dish is one of his favourites! The pea pesto adds another layer of flavour that makes this dish next level, but it is always optional! There will be left overs of the pesto and I love dipping raw veggies, crackers, or spreading it on toast (with avocado it is so yum).

In case you have not had tempeh before, I will give you a little low down. It is a fermented soy product that is rich in prebiotics and high in protein. On its own it does not have too much flavour so it is nice to marinate it or spice it up so that it tastes good. In this dish, it melds perfectly with the tomato sauce and I am sure that you will love it!

Ingredients:
Servings: 4

Bologenese Sauce:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion
1 package of tempeh (9oz), crumbled
3/4 - 1 jar of tomato sauce of choice (I find I just use 3/4 of a jar or else it is too saucy)
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Basil Pea Pesto:
1 1/2 cups packed basil
1 cup green peas (if frozen, thawed)
3 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup of cashews
1 medium lemon, juiced
1 pinch sea salt (plus more to taste)
1/4 cup olive oil

For Serving:
Cooked Pasta (4 servings) - I use brown rice pasta and I love it!
Nutritional Yeast (optional)
Fresh greens or arugula - I like to add greens to my pasta like spinach or arugula and it is a great addition.

Directions:
1) Follow directions to cook pasta
2) Heat a large sauce pan or pot to medium heat, add olive oil and onions. Cook until translucent. Add the crumbled tempeh and cook until it browns. Add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
3) Add tomato sauce and let it heat up. Taste and see if it needs any more pepper or salt for you.
4) For the pesto, add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until it is creamy.
5) Serve the bolognese over your favourite pasta or pasta alternative and then top that with a heaping tablespoon (or more) of the pesto. Garnish with some fresh basil and maybe nutritional yeast. Enjoy!

You can also use the pesto as a pasta sauce on its own and it is delish!