No-Dairy Pasta with Meat Sauce

September 18, 2019

Pasta with meat sauce is one of those dishes that everyone loves—adults and kids, gourmands and picky eaters alike. A big bowl of al dente pasta smothered with tomato-y meat sauce makes everyone happy.

There are so many great reasons to put pasta with meat sauce on the dinner menu. It’s easy to prepare, especially when you find a delicious jarred sauce so you can skip the step of making your own. You can use whatever size and shape of pasta you prefer, and you can also substitute gluten-free pasta like we did in this recipe. Plus, pasta sauce is the perfect vehicle for adding extra vegetables, whether you’re just looking to increase your own intake or you’re sneaking them past non-veggie-loving kids.

We also made this recipe without dairy for folks who want or need to avoid dairy products. Our quick, no-dairy vegan “cheese” recipe enhances the meat sauce with its salty, nutty flavor, but of course, you can always swap in grated parmesan or Romano cheese. (Pro tip: also try this no-dairy “cheese” sprinkled on popcorn or steamed veggies!)

Enjoy!

No-dairy Pasta with Meat Sauce

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

Servings

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

25 minutes

Calories

494

This pasta with meat sauce is what you need when you're looking for a meal that's guaranteed to please. A fast-cooking riff on bolognese, the ground beef sauce comes together quickly thanks to jarred high-quality sauce and grated vegetables.

Author:

Primal Kitchen

Ingredients

For the pasta and meat sauce

3 teaspoons sea salt, divided
1 tablespoon Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil
½ pound lean grass-fed ground beef
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 large organic carrot
1 organic celery stalk
½ organic onion
1 jar Primal Kitchen No-Dairy Vodka Sauce
1 box gluten-free pasta

For the vegan "cheese"

½ cup hemp seeds
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

For serving

6 fresh basil leaves, torn

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Directions

Place a large pot of water over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and cover. While the water comes to a boil, start cooking the ground beef.
Heat the avocado oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the ground beef. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently and breaking up large chunks. While the meat is cooking, prepare the vegetables.
Use the shredding or grating disk of a food processor to shred the carrot, celery, and onion. If you don’t have a processor, use a manual grater, or finely chop the vegetables. Set aside.
Once the meat is browned, use a slotted spoon to remove the ground beef to a bowl and set aside. Pour off most of the fat, leaving about a tablespoon of fat in the pot, then add the shredded vegetables to the same pot. Cook for 7-10 minutes until soft.
When the vegetables are just about soft, add the ground beef back to the pot and stir into the vegetables. Add the entire jar of Primal Kitchen No-Dairy Vodka Sauce, and stir well. Turn the heat down to low and simmer while you cook the pasta.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions. While it cooks, prepare the vegan “cheese.”
Combine the hemp hearts, nutritional yeast, and salt in a high-speed blender, food processor, or spice grinder (you’ll need to make the cheese in batches if you use a spice grinder). Pulse about 20 times, scraping down the sides if needed, or until the hemp seeds become slightly powdery and are well combined with the yeast.
Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the pot with the meat sauce. Stir gently to coat the pasta with sauce.
Spoon the pasta into serving bowls and sprinkle with the “cheese” and torn basil leaves. Serve immediately.