Mushroom Bolognese With Elbow Pasta

During the Navratras I always try out vegetarian versions of non-veg food that I may have been missing for a while ... And it was during one of those Navratras that I tried to make a vegetarian Bolognese. Any proud Italian will disown me at this stage because there is nothing like a vegetarian version of this popular Italian dish. And the true authentic bolognese has nothing to do with the ground meat version available in most restaurants. And an authentic Bolognese will always always be served with tagliatelle. Because I had decided to move away from the meaty version, I also took the liberty of using the pasta shape I had on hand that day.

I have always found mushrooms to be the only vegetable that is able to lend a meaty taste to any dish and so was the natural choice for my pasta dish. There are some things that one must always remember when using mushrooms. Firstly, never ever wash mushrooms. If you feel they need to be cleaned, just wipe with a damp paper towel. Washing your mushrooms is one way of guaranteeing a bad mushroom dish. Secondly, never overcrowd a pan with mushrooms - you always want your mushrooms to sauté on medium/high heat and not stew in their liquid. That is the best way of preserving the taste and texture of mushrooms.

✅ INGREDIENTS

• 200 gms button mushrooms (cut into quarters)
• 1 small carrot (finely chopped)
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• 1/2 green bell pepper (finely chopped)
• 2 cups Tomato Pasta sauce (readymade or homemade)
• 1 tablespoon Fresh/ 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1 cup dried Pasta shape of your choice
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• Sea salt to taste
• Finely ground parmesan/parmigiano reggiano cheese

✅ INSTRUCTIONS

1.) Saute mushrooms in 2 teaspoon olive oil over med high heat. When the mushrooms are lightly browned, take them out and transfer to a bowl. 

2.) In the pan, add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil and add the finely chopped carrot, bell pepper and onion. Sprinkle with some sea salt and cook on medium heat till the vegetables are soft. 

3.) When the vegetables are done, add the mushrooms, some more sea salt and pasta sauce and cook for about 10 minutes to allow the vegetables to absorb the sauce. At this stage you may even choose to add some water or vegetable stock to thin the sauce a little depending on the consistency you're looking for.

4.) In the meantime, boil plenty of water with some salt and cook the pasta till al dente. Once the drain the pasta in a colander. Never rinse pasta with cold water - it will stop the sauce form sticking to the pasta. 

5.) Once the vegetables are soft, and the sauce has reduced a little, allow to cool. Once cooled, pulse the sauce in a food processor till the texture is like a ground meat sauce. (for vegetarians, it is a slightly chunky texture resembling coarsely grated vegetables). There is another way of making this sauce - the cooked vegetables can be pulsed in the food processor and then added to the tomato sauce. The key is to not blend everything to a fine puree - texture of the vegetables will lend a hearty taste to the sauce. 

6.) Once the sauce is ready, transfer it back to the pan and heat a little. Add the basil an adjust seasonings. I also like to add some dried chili flakes at this stage to give the pasta a bit of kick without making it very hot or spicy. 

7.) Add the cooked pasta to this sauce. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes. Add some parmesan cheese and mix well. check seasoning one last time and adjust if needed.

8.) Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle some grated cheese on top and serve.

Jyotsna

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About Wanni Arachchige Udara Madusanka Perera

Hey, I'm Perera! I will try to give you technology reviews(mobile,gadgets,smart watch & other technology things), Automobiles, News and entertainment for built up your knowledge.