Grate Bolognese — a plant-based Italian recipe by BOSH!
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Grate Bolognese

This one genuinely surprised us the first time we made it. The idea of grating your tofu and mushrooms sounds a bit weird, we know, but trust us on this one because the texture you get is absolutely spot on. It mimics that classic bolognese mince perfectly, and when it hits the pan with fresh grated tomatoes, pesto and nutritional yeast, the whole thing comes together into something rich, savoury and deeply satisfying. It's the kind of pasta dinner that makes you forget you're eating plants, and that's exactly the kind of recipe we love making.

Cook: 30 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Microplane or fine grater
  • Box grater or coarse grater
  • Colander
  • Large saucepan
  • Large mixing bowl

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp plant-based tomato pesto
  • 1 tbsp Nooch
  • 1 tsp Henderson's Relish
  • 2 tsp gravy browning
  • 100g tofu - smoked
  • 200g chestnut mushrooms
  • 1 clove garlic clove
  • 400g Popla tomatoes
  • 2 tomatoes medium
  • 250g rigatoni pasta
  • sugar to taste
  • tbsp olive oil to serve
  • tbsp Nooch

Method

1

Prepare the ingredients

  • Coarsely grate the tofu and mushrooms, transfer to a bowl and rinse the grater
  • Coarsely grate the tomatoes
  • Finely grate the garlic clove
2

Prepare the sauce

  • Warm the oil over medium high heat
  • Add the tofu and mushrooms to the pan and stir for 5-6 minutes
  • Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute
  • Add the tomatoes and stir for 2 minutes
  • Add the pesto and nutritional yeast and stir for 1 minute
  • Add the polpa tomatoes, stir to combine, reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes
  • Add the Henderson's Relish and gravy browning, stir to combine, taste and season with salt, pepper and sugar
  • Reduce the heat to a very low simmer and leave the pan to one side to let the flavours develop
3

Prepare the pasta

  • Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water according to the package instructions (approx 10-13 minutes)
4

Finish and serve

  • Add a ladle of pasta water to the sauce and stir to loosen
  • Finely shred the basil leaves.
  • Drain the pasta with a colander, quickly transfer the pasta to the sauce and fold to combine.
  • Spoon the pasta into bowls
  • Season with a sprinkle of nooch, salt and pepper, drizzle over a little olive oil, garnish with basil leaves and serve immediately

Tips & Variations

  • Don't skip the grating: We know it feels like an extra step but grating the tofu and mushrooms rather than chopping them is what makes this recipe. It's the whole point and it's totally worth it.
  • Squeeze the tofu first: If your tofu is quite wet, give it a gentle press with some kitchen paper before grating. It helps it catch a bit of colour in the pan rather than steaming.
  • Pasta water is your friend: Before you drain your pasta, save a mugful of the cooking water. Stir a splash into the sauce at the end and it makes everything glossy and helps it cling to the pasta beautifully.

Why This Works

The trick here is all in the grating. Coarsely grating the tofu and mushrooms gives you this brilliant rough, meaty texture that soaks up all the sauce as it cooks down. Grating the tomatoes fresh rather than using tinned is a game changer too, you get this bright, slightly chunky base that feels really alive. The nutritional yeast and pesto at the end add that umami depth that makes the whole thing taste like it's been simmering for hours.