Use Your Noodle - recipe

Vegetarian Times, Jan, 1999 by Kathy Farell-Kingsley

A sumptuous sauce that will turn your favorite pasta into a fabulous meal

Though many of us grew up thinking that pasta is a fattening starch with no healthful benefits--today we know it is nutritious, low in fat and full of complex carbohydrates, protein and minerals. Topped or tossed with a sauce made of herbs, vegetables and soy products, it becomes one of the most balanced main courses you can eat.

Here is a pasta sauce that is not only healthy, but also quick and easy to make. It's a vegetarian version of meat sauce that will appeal especially to transitional vegetarians who might be missing a thick sauce on their pasta. We've replaced the ground beef with whole-grain tempeh which has a similar texture. Use this recipe to whip up a stress-free, flavor-rich meal in the amount of time it takes to boil the water for your pasta.

Bolognese Sauce

6 SERVINGS DAIRY-FREE 30

Here's a satisfying tomato sauce that will add a hearty, wholegrain flavor to any pasta or lasagna dish.

8 oz. tempeh
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs. soy sauce
28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
1 1/2 cups tomato puree
2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil
   or 2 tsp. dried
2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp. dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper
   to taste

IN MEDIUM BOWL, crumble tempeh into fine pieces. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, 15 seconds. Stir in tempeh, water and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat slightly. Simmer mixture 5 minutes, then remove the cover and let the water boil off to the point that you can hear the tempeh sizzling in the pan. Stir remaining ingredients into tempeh mixture. Cover and simmer sauce 10 minutes.

PER SERVING: 172 CAL.; 10G PROT.; 8G TOTAL FAT (1G SAT. FAT); 19G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 200MG SOD.; 4G FIBER

This recipe has been adapted from Feeding the Healthy Vegetarian Family by Ken Haedrich (Bantam, 1998).

Kathy Farrell-Kingsley is food editor of Vegetarian Times.