Make the basil mix first. Add to your food processor: cup of basil, capers, 4 cloves crushed garlic, ½ tsp sea salt and ¼ cup of olive oil. Blitz until well combined. Add the other ¼ cup of olive oil and blitz again.
Place the TVP in a bowl and add 1 tbs of the basil mix and then pour the stock over the top. Stir through and leave to soak for a few minutes. You will notice the TVP swelling in size as it soaks up most of the stock.
Pour wine into a small saucepan and put on the heat until it starts to boil then bring back to a slow simmer from just a few minutes to burn off the alcohol. It doesn’t take long.
Add 1 tbs of olive oil to a heavy based pan. Once the oil has heated, add the onion and garlic and stir until the onion becomes soft and translucent. Keep your heat medium to stop the onion from burning and becoming bitter. Add oregano and tomato paste and mix through. Add tomatoes and stir through. Add sugar, TVP (including any remaining liquid but there won’t be much) and mix. Finally add basil oil mix, red wine and salt and pepper.
Bring to the boil and then reduce to a slow simmer. Cover with the lid slightly lifted and cook for at least 20 minutes but longer if you want the flavours to develop more. There isn’t much in there that needs to cook like traditional bolognese sauce so this is just all about developing flavours.
When you are ready to eat, cook the spaghetti as per the instructions on the box or if you have made your own pasta, cook for a much shorter time. When I am cooking pasta, I like to make the cooking water extremely salty which adds to the flavour once the pasta is drained.
Recipe by my vegan plate at https://www.myveganplate.com/vegan-spaghetti-bolognese/