Veggie "Bolognese" Sauce

Growing up with an Italian mother, I am no stranger to fabulous pasta dishes.  I wish everyone could experience Thanksgivings at my Great Aunt Maddie's, which always included a lasagna course BEFORE the turkey!  My favorite, and most requested, pasta dish; however, was always the simple and classic spaghetti bolognese.  Traditional bolognese sauce is meat based, so what's a veggie girl to do?  I have made many versions of this recipe, and it is constantly evolving, but it is ALWAYS delicious!  I swear I could just eat this sauce by itself, it's so yummy.  At the end of the recipe, I have included ideas for additional ingredients that I think would be great, and intend to try in the future.

I always have my cousin Susan's marinara sauce on hand.  You can use sauce from a jar if you want, but homemade is just SO much better.  And ladies, I can tell you from personal experience, if you make this sauce for a boy, you will have him eating out of the palm of your hand!  (No pun intended).  Her recipe makes about a gallon of sauce (or about 4 jar's worth), and I usually freeze portions in small tupperware containers.  If you're going the jar route, skip right to the bolognese recipe.  Otherwise, without further ado, here is Susan's Marinara Recipe:

2 small onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
8 cups water
2 28-oz cans crushed tomatoes (get the kind with basil & oregano if you can)
2 12-oz cans tomato paste (also with basil & oregano)
1/4 cup sugar
2 TBS Italian seasoning
1 TBS dried basil
1 TBS salt
1/2 tsp pepper (or more to taste)

In a large pot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until tender.  (Don't let the mixture brown).  Stir in the remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil, then quickly lower heat to a simmer.  Now, go pop in a DVD, and relax with a glass of wine while you let the sauce simmer for 2 hours, stirring often.  Don't let the sauce stick to the bottom of the pot!  See, wasn't that easy?  :)

On to the "bolognese"...

1 TBS olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, small dice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 8-oz package tempeh (any flavor), chopped into ½ inch cubes
Italian Seasoning (sprinkle liberally)
Generous pinch Himalayan Sea Salt
1 medium zucchini, small dice
8-oz package baby bella mushrooms, stems removed and small dice
Above marinara recipe or 2 jars of sauce

Heat olive oil in large saucepan. Sauté onion and celery for a few minutes, until they begin to soften. Add garlic, tempeh, Italian Seasoning, and salt, and sauté a few minutes more. (The tempeh will start to look golden in color). Stir in zucchini and mushrooms, and continue cooking until veggies are almost done. (You don’t want them to be too soft). Pour marinara sauce over the mixture (eyeball about 2 jars worth), and let simmer until heated through.

Ideas for Additional Ingredients (use any or all, whatever tickles your fancy!):
Diced Carrot
Diced Eggplant
Diced Red Pepper
Litelife Organic Smoky Tempeh Strips (tempeh bacon) or any other veggie bacon (cooked according to package instructions and crumbled)
Red Wine

Voila!  Now, get to cooking, and go impress all your friends!