Weeknight Chickpea Bolognese

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).

Step 2

Add rinsed, dried chickpeas to a mixing bowl and toss with olive oil, oregano, salt, garlic powder, panko bread crumbs, and vegan parmesan cheese.

Step 3

Place chickpeas on a baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crispy and light golden brown (see photo), then remove and set aside.

Step 4

While chickpeas are baking, heat a large metal or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add olive oil, garlic and carrots. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Step 5

Remove skillet from heat, add tomato sauce, oregano, and vegan parmesan cheese, and stir. Place back over heat and bring to a low simmer over medium-low heat. Once simmering, reduce heat to low and continue cooking to thicken, stirring occasionally.

Step 6

Sample sauce and adjust seasonings as needed. Add sweetener of choice at this time if preferred (I went with 1 Tbsp coconut sugar, 1 Tbsp organic cane sugar // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).

Step 7

To make carrot noodles, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add carrots and boil for 2-3 minutes (2 for al dente, 3 for more tender noodles). Drain and set aside.

Step 8

Add 3/4 of the baked chickpeas to the sauce (see photo) and stir.

Step 9

To serve, top carrot noodles with sauce, remaining chickpeas, and any additional toppings (see options above).

Step 10

Leftovers keep well (separate) in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat sauce in the microwave or saucepan. Add a little water to thin if too thick.