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As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.
Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.
Middle Eastern-style Vegan Sunflower Mince Casarecce
This bowlful of comfort is bursting with flavour. Simmer a rich ragu, starring vegan sunflower mince, vibrant courgette and juice tomatoes, and infused with warm harissa and tangy sundried tomato paste. Brown rice casarecce soak up all the flavour. Top with a refreshing rocket salad to complete the dish!
Ready in 20
1/3 daily fibre
6 plants
Low sat fat
Family classics
Serving size
Ingredients
- 2 garlic clove
- 4 tbsp sundried tomato paste (Tomato Puree, Sundried Tomatoes, Rapeseed Oil, Water, Pine Kernels, Salt)
- 2 courgette
- 200g baby tomatoes
- 1 unwaxed lemon
- 2 tbsp harissa paste (Water, Rapeseed Oil, Diced Red Pepper, Red Pepper, Paprika Flakes, Garlic, Salt, Rose Petals, Ground Cumin, Ground Coriander, Black Pepper, Paprika Oleoresin, Crushed Chilies, Natural Flavouring Smoke, Oregano, Citric Acid, Parsley)
- 250g brown rice casarecce pasta (Soya) (Brown rice flour 100%)
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 onion
- 72g sunflower mince (sunflower mince (100%))
- 40g rocket
Nutritional Information
Calories: 486
Protein: 19g
Carbs: 65g
Fat: 17g
Middle Eastern-style Vegan Sunflower Mince Casarecce
This bowlful of comfort is bursting with flavour. Simmer a rich ragu, starring vegan sunflower mince, vibrant courgette and juice tomatoes, and infused with warm harissa and tangy sundried tomato paste. Brown rice casarecce soak up all the flavour. Top with a refreshing rocket salad to complete the dish!
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Cooking Instructions
Before you start
- Bring a large saucepan filled with salted water to a boil
- Pull out a large frying pan, a measuring jug, a sieve & 2 medium bowls
Get prepped
- Place the sunflower mince into a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Leave to soak for 10 mins, then drain
- Dice the courgettes into 2cm cubes. Thinly slice the onions. Finely chop or crush the garlic
Cook the pasta
- Add the casarecce to the saucepan and boil for 8-9 mins, until cooked. Reserve 150ml pasta water, then drain and drizzle with 1 tsp oil
- Meanwhile, heat the large frying pan with 1 tbsp oil on medium heat. Once hot, add the courgette and onion and cook for 5-6 mins, until softened. Season with salt and pepper
Simmer the sauce
- Halve the tomatoes, then add to the veg pan with the garlic, harissa and sunflower mince. Cook for another 2-3 mins. Pour in half the vinegar and cook until evaporated
- Stir in the sundried tomato paste and reserved pasta water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 mins, until thickened
Last bits
- Stir in the cooked pasta and toss to coat in the sauce. Squeeze in the juice from half the lemon. Season to taste. Add a splash of water if it's a little thick
- Add the rocket, remaining vinegar and 2 tsp oil into the other medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat
Plate up
- Share the pasta between bowls. Top with the rocket
- Serve with the remaining lemon, cut into wedges
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