{ raw vegan, gluten-free, serves 2 }
Pasta with vegetarian bolognese using packaged tofu crumbles is one of my favorite comfort foods. But since the processed stuff isn’t so good for the gut (or that great for you in general), I wanted to create a raw version using whole, healthy ingredients that could be enjoyed both on raw pasta or the classic cooked semolina. The outcome was even better than I had hoped. The similarities are pretty striking in flavor as well as texture.
“Stracci” basically translates to imperfectly “ripped” sheets of pasta. So making rough, wide tears of squash using a vegetable peeler stands up to a hearty, heavy topping like bolognese. Dehydrating the squash also lends to its sturdiness as it creates a more chewy, pliable texture.
This recipe makes more bolognese than what’s needed for the stracci. But that works out just fine, because it freezes beautifully. I used the remainder of it on cooked linguini for dinner one night, and it was out of this world. Gently heated through, it resembled more of a mushroom ragù than a bolognese. Win-win!
For the sauce:
2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
4-5 sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil (recommended: Mediterranean Organic)
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms
3/4 cup soaked walnuts
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp sea salt
1 small shallot, roughly chopped
1 small carrot, roughly chopped
1 large celery stalk, roughly chopped
1/8 cup good red wine
3 tbsp cashew milk
Toss the first 7 ingredients well in a large bowl and let marinate 1 hour. Transfer tomatoes to lined dehydrator trays and dehydrate at 115 degrees for about 4 hours.
In a food processor, blend the grape tomatoes and the sun-dried tomatoes together to a purée. Pour into mixing bowl and set aside.
Next, add the creminis, walnuts, thyme, and remaining 1 teaspoon sea salt to food processor and pulse to a crumbly texture. Add to the tomato sauce mixture.
Finally, pulse together the shallot, carrot, and celery until finely diced and transfer to the sauce. Add wine and cashew milk and stir together until well mixed. Adjust seasonings if necessary.
For the stracci:
1 1/2 – 2 lbs goldbar squash (about 4)
sea salt
flax seed oil (lends a rich, buttery flavor)
With a vegetable peeler, slice squash into thin sheets, alternating on each side until seeds are visible. Set in a large bowl, sprinkle and toss moderately with sea salt, and allow to stand for about an hour. Drain excess water, and drizzle with flax seed oil. Transfer to dehydrator trays and dehydrate at 115 degrees for about 2 hours, or until “stracci” achieves a chewy texture.
Pinenut parmesan:
1/2 cup soaked pine nuts
1 tbs nutritional yeast
1 small garlic clove
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp sea salt
Process all ingredients until well blended and crumbly. Spread on lined dehydrator trays and dehydrate at 110 degrees for about 2 hours, or until excess moisture has evaporated.
For assembly:
Simply arrange stracci on plates and top with desired amount of bolognese. Finish with pinenut parmesan and garnish with roughly chopped basil.
<3, JMK
