Mushroom Bolognese

a vegetarian answer to the best pasta sauce

king trumpet mushrooms

Every week we put two vegetarian entrees on the menu. And, every single week, these are the two most difficult slots to fill. Avoiding monotony can be a challenge, especially during this time of year when our produce lists seem to consist of only a few very beige items. This recipe was born out of making the most out of a few pantry staples and an ingredient that we have in abundance year round, mushrooms.

This mushroom Bolognese is the perfect answer to a gray March day. It’s comforting and rich in all the ways that you want when it’s still cold outside, but lighter than its traditional meat-heavy counterpart. (After all, spring is just around the corner.) After much trial and error, I’ve found that the key to nailing the ragù texture and flavor comes down to how the mushrooms are cut and cooked.

From left to right: maitake, and cremini mushrooms

I make this recipe with a variety of mushrooms to mimic all the textures of a traditional bolo. King trumpets with their dense, thick stems are perfect for dicing and searing, yielding a similar texture to rendered pancetta or bacon. Maitake mushrooms can be shredded and creminis chopped or crumbled to echo the texture of ground meat. Once your mushrooms are prepped, it’s time to cook them and this is where the magic happens. A reverse sear (I’ll detail below) makes for a super flavorful mushroom while maximizing the golden brown factor. A touch of cream, cuts the acidity and adds the perfect amount of richness.

While this recipe was born from the depths of an East coast winter (it hasn’t even been that cold, I’m just exercising my right to complain), I’m writing it for you now poolside at a resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. I’m hoping that by the time I get back to Baltimore spring will finally be setting in. But if it’s not, I’ll probably make this and catch up on Love is Blind until it is.

Mushroom Bolognese

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

~3 Tbsp neutral oil (for the mushrooms—olive oil will work too you just have to be more careful about burning as it has a lower smoke point)

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion

2 medium carrots, peeled

2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 cups white or red wine

2 Tbsp tomato paste

15 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 cups vegetable stock

1/4 cup heavy cream

2-3 lbs mixed mushrooms (ideally a combination of maitake, cremini, and king trumpet but all varieties work)

1 lb rigatoni (or any short pasta shape)

Parmesan cheese for topping

Step 1:

Prepare the mushrooms by cleaning and chopping them according to what variety you’re using. For maitakes, remove the roots and break them up with your hands. For king trumpets, remove the ends and cut into a small dice. For cremini, button, or shiitake mushrooms, remove the stems and chop or break up with your hands until they are minced.

Step 2:

To prep your mirepoix, use either a food processor or a box grater to finely process the onion, carrot, and celery until it reaches a relish consistency.

Step 3:

Place a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the neutral oil and wait for it to shimmer. Once it does, add your mushrooms all at once. It should be hot enough for the mushrooms to sizzle when they hit the pan. Season right away with a big pinch of salt and spread in an even layer. Allow them to cook, undisturbed, for about 3-5 minutes while they release some of their liquid. Eventually, the liquid should come to a simmer and reduce. When it does, stir the mushrooms every few minutes until they’re deeply golden brown. This process should take about 20 minutes. Trust me, your patience will be rewarded.

Step 4:

Transfer the mushrooms to a plate and return the pot to medium heat. Add the olive oil, and once hot, add the mirepoix. Season with salt and pepper and stir using a flat wooden spoon. Allow the mirepoix to cook for 5-10 minutes or until the moisture has evaporated and it has begun to caramelize. Add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes before adding the tomato paste.

Step 5:

Cook the tomato paste, stirring with a flat wooden spoon for a few minutes to allow the raw tomato flavor to cook out while the paste begins to caramelize. Pour in your wine to deglaze the pan, stirring constantly as it reduces to loosen any fond from the bottom of the pan. Add the crushed tomatoes and vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Return the mushrooms to the pot and continue to cook at a low simmer for about 20 minutes. The sauce should be thick like a ragù, not loose.

Step 6:

While the sauce simmers, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions, minus a few minutes. Reserve about a cup of pasta water before straining the pasta.

Step 7:

Once the sauce has thickened, add the cream and return to a simmer. Adjust the seasoning before stirring in the pasta and a splash of the pasta water. Stir to fully coat the noodles and serve with lots of Parmesan cheese.