Author: Sharon

Ingredients:

* 2 lbs (1 kg) canned peeled tomatoes, or fresh if they’re in season
* [veggie broth for wautéing]
* 1 cup (140 g) diced onion
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1/2 cup (70 g) diced carrot
* [meat substitute: chopped walnuts or mushrooms or lentils or eggplant or zucchini or tofu or tempi or quinoa or edamame or canned green jackfruit (rinsed & chopped) or cauliflower, etc]
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
* 5 medium basil leaves, sliced into strips
* 1/2 cup (40 g) sliced mushrooms
* 8 ounces (225 g) dried spaghetti
* 3 tablespoons (20 g) vegan parmesan (nutritional yeast mixed w/ italian herbs & panko bread crumbs), plus more for garnish

[OPTIONAL:  beet powder, lemon juice, coconut sugar, spicy V8 juice, smoked paprika, tabasco.]

Instructions:

Chop up the tomatoes, then put them through a food mill or press them through a conical sieve. You want to separate all the juice and pulp from the seeds (a wooden pestle is handy if you use a conical sieve, or it’s possible to press so hard that you break your spatula). Set the tomato sauce aside and discard the seeds.

Heat the veggie broth in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sprinkle it with some salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes. Turn the heat down if the onions start to brown.

Add the carrots and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent.

Add the meat-substitute and break it up into small pieces. Sprinkle salt and the pepper over it. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes.

Stir in the tomato sauce and the mushrooms. Raise the heat a bit and bring the sauce to a boil. Let it boil for a few seconds, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Place the lid on the pot, slightly ajar and let it cook for about 40 minutes.

After the 40 minutes are up and the sauce has thickened, stir in the sliced basil, put the lid back on (ajar), and cook for another 5 minutes.

Cook the spaghetti according to the package’s directions. Drain it and return it to the pot.

Add the vegan parmesan. Toss to combine.

Dish up the spaghetti and ladle the sauce over it. Sprinkle it with more vegan parmesan and serve it forth.