Directions

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions. While it cooks, prepare the vegan “cheese.”
7. 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.
8. Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the pot with the meat sauce. Stir gently to coat the pasta with sauce.
9. Spoon the pasta into serving bowls and sprinkle with the “cheese” and torn basil leaves. Serve immediately.