In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add in the onion, celery and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened. About 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and stir to combine with onion mixture.
Add in processed mushrooms, stir to combine and cook for 6-8 minutes until all the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. It is very important to evaporate as much liquid as possible from the mushrooms or you will end up with a watery sauce.
Stir in the riced cauliflower and continue cooking for another 5 minutes before adding in the spices and tomato paste. Stir to combine the spices and tomato paste and cook for 2-3 additional minutes.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes and sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, then cover and lower heat. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove lid, discard bay leaf and adjust seasonings. Serve on top of pasta, quinoa or zucchini noodles.
Garnish with fresh chopped basil and a dusting of nutritional yeast