Skip to Content
Recipes

Vegan Bolognese Sauce from Chef Riccardo Orfino

A meatless alternative to Bolognese sauce from the acclaimed Italian chef/partner of NYC's Osteria 57 and Alice.

"Meatless" and "Italian" are not words typically paired in the restaurants of New York City, but Chef Riccardo Orfino — formerly of Michelin-starred Il Lugo di Aimo & Nadia in Milan, Osteria della Pace at Eataly Downtown, and La Pecora Bianca — offers up this marvel among his menus that are entirely "senza carne" (meatless). Here, he gracefully shares a recipe with Appetito's readers, offering a meat-free alternative to a classic Bolognese sauce.

Vegan Bolognese

Vegan Bolognese

Recipe by Riccardo Orfino
0.0 from 0 votes
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup 1/2 extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 medium 1 onion coarsely chopped

  • 2 2 garlic cloves

  • 2 2 celery stalk peeled and coarsely chopped

  • 2 2 carrots coarsely chopped

  • 1 pound 1 mixed mushrooms

  • 1 pound 1 pecans

  • 3 oz 3 dry Porcini

  • 32 oz 32 tomato sauce

  • 2 qt 2 vegetable stock

  • 1 glass 1 red wine (optional)

  • 1 oz 1 sage and rosemary, finely chopped

  • salt and pepper to taste

  • fresh parsley at the end

Directions

  • Cut the carrots, celery, garlic and onion very finely and sauté them until lightly golden.
  • Add the pecans and the dry porcini mushrooms, and sauté together until the mushrooms are tender.
  • Chopped the assorted mushrooms, and add them to the pot.
  • Add the tomato sauce, the glass of red wine (optional) and the vegetable stock.
  • Let the liquid simmer until the broth has dried up.
  • To finish, add sage and rosemary and stir into sauce.
  • Add fresh parsley to garnish.
  • Use this Vegan Bolognese Sauce on fresh tagliatelle or to assemble a vegetarian lasagna.
  • ENJOY!

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @appetitomagazine on Instagram and hashtag it with #italianfoodanddrink

Like this recipe?

Follow @Appetitomagazine on Pinterest

Follow us on Facebook!

Follow us on Facebook

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Appetito

Winter Hearth Italian Sausage Soup for Those Cold Winter Nights

A cozy, slow-simmered Italian sausage soup for those cold winter nights.

January 28, 2026

Q&A: PopUp Bagels, Sabatino Discuss Partnership Bringing New York, Italy Together

How a shared respect for ingredients sparked a New York–Italy collaboration.

January 28, 2026

Matcha in Milan: How Green Tea is Reshaping Café Culture

A look at how matcha is finding its place alongside espresso in one of the world’s most coffee-obsessed cities.

January 27, 2026

Real Italian, Real Fast: Vinny DelGiudice’s Pasta with Cauliflower

The first installment of Vinny DelGiudice’s new Appetito column focused on everyday Italian home cooking.

January 27, 2026

Meet Danilo Bonifazi, Hotel Manager of Palazzo Navona

A look at the vision behind one of Rome’s most admired boutique hotels.

January 26, 2026

From the Dolomites to NoDa: Italian Comfort, Charlotte Soul

At Ever Andalo in Charlotte’s NoDa neighborhood, Italian comfort cooking meets a relaxed, community-driven approach to dining.

January 26, 2026
See all posts