This vegan version of the classic bolognese is mostly traditional with some optional twists to doctor up the sauce slightly with creamy oat milk and naturally sweet maple syrup if desired. I find the creaminess and sweetness is a nice balance for the pungent garlic and shallot and spicy red pepper flakes. I recommend using a high quality marinara sauce here as it makes all the difference in the end result. The chickpeas are pulsed lightly ten times in the food processor to provide a perfectly chunky ground meat-like texture. Note: In the recipe instructions I stagger the sauce preparation and the cooking of the pasta but you could layer these tasks simultaneously for a faster overall cooking time.