mushroom faux-lognese
There are many many things billed as bolognese that aren’t at all bolognese and I’m confused by it. I suppose it’s a textural reference, but still:
Turkey bolognese is not bolognese.
30-minute bolognese is not bolognese.
Ground beef in jar sauce with vegetables is not bolognese.
Lentils or cauliflower are not bolognese.
And this pile of ground up mushrooms is not bolognese, or even close, and that’s why I’m not calling it one.
What is or is not bolognese has enough contention on its own, but there are at least a few consistencies. Red meats, soffrito, layers of wine, and a many-hours cook process to develop flavors are the general criteria. Which means a lot of what’s billed as bolognese can’t be. But also: who cares?
Rather than focus on what it’s not, I’ll focus on what it is: a savory, wine-y, garlicky sauce meant to help you take advantage of as many fall mushrooms as you can find, comforting but not heavy, and perfect for the shroom lovers and vegetarians in your life. It’s a thoughtful dish with a little bit of effort involved, and more of a weekend move for me, but one I make at least twice in the fall and that I hope you will too.
RECIPE
A vegetarian alternative to bolognese, this all-mushroom ragu uses a blend of crimini, shiitake, and white button mushrooms simmered in wine and splashed with cream at the end for a silky sauce that clings beautifully to pasta.
Effortful time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 1/2 hours
Makes enough for 1 lb pasta, I always double it and freeze
YOU NEED
1 medium shallot, coarsely chopped
1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. baby bela mushrooms, sliced
1/2 lb. shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/2 lb. button mushrooms, sliced
6 tbsp. olive oil, divided
4 tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup dry wine, red or white
14 oz can tomato purée; save the other half of a 28 oz. can for something else
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tbsp. soy sauce
3/4 cup half and half
Black pepper to taste
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup heavy cream
More Parm, for serving
MAKE IT
Roast the mushrooms. Preheat oven to 425°. On a half sheet pan, lay out the mushrooms and drizzle with 3 tbsp. oil. Massage into the mushrooms. Do not salt! They won’t crisp if you do. Roast for 20 minutes or until crispy.
Prep your soffrito. In the meantime, blitz your carrots, shallot, celery, and garlic in the food processor to coarsely chop.
Cook your soffrito. In a large dutch oven over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the shallot, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent and the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
Process the mushrooms. Remove the mushrooms and scrape up the pan so you have a pile of mushrooms plus mushroom debris. Now you can salt them. Transfer the roasted mushrooms to the food processor, and chop them too.
Build the sauce. Dump all the mushrooms into the dutch oven, stirring to coat. Add the tomato paste and thyme and stir until fragrant. Add the wine to deglaze. Pour in the canned tomato, half and half, vegetable broth, and soy sauce; salt and pepper to taste and scrape around to fully combine.
Simmer the sauce. Lower the heat to very low and partially cover. Simmer for about an hour and a half, stirring every so often.
Finish the sauce. When you’re ready to put your pasta in to cook, add the cream and grated parmigiano cheese to the sauce, and stir to combine. Continue simmering until your pasta is ready.
Toss and serve. Toss with hot pasta and more grated cheese. This goes really well with a natural, funky red wine, like a Sangiovese.
