Place the chopped walnuts in a large pan or heavy pot, and toast them over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until they are fragrant.

Transfer the toasted nuts to the bowl of a food processor, and pulse 2-3 times. Then, transfer the nuts to a medium mixing bowl, and set them aside. Wipe out the food processor, and add the mushrooms, pulsing 2-3 times. Set the mushrooms aside.  (*See notes)

Wipe down the pot/pan, making sure there are no remnants of the chopped nuts. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and heat it over medium heat. Transfer the diced mushrooms  from the food processor into the pot/pan, and season them with salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until the liquid (from the mushrooms) has evaporated and the mushrooms are browned. Add 1/2 tablespoon of Tamari, and continue to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper, transfer them to the bowl with the toasted walnuts.

Add 1 Tablespoon of Tamari sauce, and mix the ingredients together until they are combined. (Note – If using a food processor, place the chopped carrot, onion, and celery in the food processor, and pulse 3 times until a finely diced texture is formed. Set aside.)

In the same pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced celery, carrot, garlic, and onion, and season them with salt and pepper.

Mix the ingredients to combine, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the garlic and onion are fragrant and starting to caramelize. Add the mushroom-walnut mixture, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, chopped parsley, and basil, and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously to combine.

Mix in the white wine, and cook the sauce for 2-3 minutes on medium to medium high heat until the alcohol has reduced, resulting in a thicker sauce.

Add the crushed tomatoes and broth. Crumble 1 bouillon cube on top, and bring the ingredients to a quick boil over high heat. Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to low, and add the bay leaf. Then, cover the pot/pan, and cook for 30 minutes, making sure to stir occasionally to ensure the bouillon cube is mixed in thoroughly.

After 30 minutes, remove the bay leaf, and season to taste.

Serve with vegetable noodle pasta or gluten free pasta. Garnish with fresh basil and cracked pepper after plating.

*Optional – For extra richness, drizzle olive oil and sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast (vegan option) on top before serving.