Mushrooms have always been one of my favorite foods. As a child, I would beg my mom to buy the pasta sauce that had the most mushrooms possible. On pizza night, I pleaded for my parents to order double mushrooms! There is something so perfect about the combination of mushrooms and tomato sauce and this classic pairing is what inspired my recipe for this smoky mushroom bolognese.
When Pomi reached out to me to create a recipe featuring their new organic line of tomato products, I could not have been more thrilled! I love cooking with tomatoes grown in the Mediterranean region because they are SO rich in flavor! Of course, I was going to combine their sauce with mushrooms, which led me to create this mushroom-based bolognese. As I contemplated the ingredients I would use, the idea of making the sauce a bit smoky really excited me! A touch of smoked paprika and red chili flakes lend a depth of flavor that compliments the inherent sweetness of the fresh Italian grown tomatoes in Pomi’s Organic strained tomato sauce.
TIME = the key to the best bolognese
The key to a delicious bolognese, of course, is TIME. The longer you allow all of the ingredients to slowly cook together, the flavor profile gets deeper and richer, resulting in a sauce that is absolutely incredible. The same principle applies to this mushroom version. Which I love not only because mushrooms are one of my favorite foods, but because you get that same classic richness that bolognese is known for without any meat.
The process of preparing & cooking all of the ingredients that go into this smoky mushroom bolognese is almost mediative. As you cook each ingredient before adding the next, you begin to work in a rhythm. As you build the foundation for a sauce so delicious, that those who taste it will not believe how much flavor can come from a meatless bolognese sauce!
After your sauce has simmered slowly, concentrating all of the flavors you worked so hard to build, it is time to enjoy the fruits of your labor! You could simply serve your smoky mushroom bolognese over a tangle of tagliatelle pasta, but we have found that adding a creamy cheese like burrata or ricotta is the perfect complement to this deeply flavored sauce. And if you really want to take this dish over the top, garnish with some fresh rosemary fried in olive oil. You’re welcome in advance ;)! Trust me when I tell you, this has become one of our very favorite meals! It totally blows us away every time I make it (and I have made it three times in one month – it is that good!)
SMOKY MUSHROOM BOLOGNESE
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled & diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- red chili flakes to taste, optional
- 20g dried wild mushrooms, reconstituted in 1 cup of boiling water
- 500g (1 lb) fresh mushrooms, finely diced
- 1 jar (500g) Pomi Organic Strained Tomatoes
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (*tamari or coconut aminos can be substituted)
- Salt & pepper to taste
FOR SERVING:
- 500g dried tagliatelle or fettuccine pasta
- 4 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- (2-3) burrata balls, at room temperature (*or substitute with vegan ricotta for a dairy-free
- option – see note below)
- flaky salt to taste
Instructions
- Place a large dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil. Next add in the prepared
- onion, carrots & celery. Season with a pinch of salt & cook until slightly golden, about 5-7
- minutes.
- • Next, prepare & add the mushrooms to your dutch oven in batches. While the first batch
- cooks, finely dice the next batch of mushrooms, taking a moment to stir the mushrooms in
- the pot every now and again. In the time that it takes the first batch to cook, you will be
- ready to add the next batch. Once all of the mushrooms have been prepped and cooked,
- add in the garlic, thyme, smoked paprika & chili flakes (if using). Cook for 3 minutes.
- • Remove the reconstituted wild mushrooms from the hot water, reserving the soaking water,
- and finely chop the wild mushrooms. Add the chopped wild mushrooms to the pot and
- increase the heat to medium high. Add in the red wine and deglaze all of the caramelized
- crust from the bottom of the dutch oven. Once the wine had almost evaporated, add in the
- soy sauce, strained tomatoes, and reserved wild mushroom soaking water.
- • Season with salt & pepper. Move the dutch oven to your smallest burner, cover, leaving a
- small gap between the lid and the pot. Reduce the heat all the way down to low and let the
- sauce barely simmer for at least 1 hour (the longer it cooks the better the flavor will be)
- Check in on the sauce throughout the hour, stirring occasionally & simmering it until the
- sauce is thick and rich. Adjust the seasoning with salt & pepper as necessary and remove
- from the heat.
- • Once your sauce is ready, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water generously
- with salt, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions.
- • While the pasta cooks, fry the rosemary. In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium
- heat. Once the oil is nice and hot, but not smoking, add in the fried rosemary (it should
- sizzle the moment it hits the oil). Remove the pan from the heat, swirl the rosemary around
- in the oil & reserve for garnish.
- • Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Add pasta water to the
- bolognese to just loosen it up a bit. Divide pasta between your plates, spoon bolognese
- over pasta, and top each plate with a split ball of burrata. Spoon the fried rosemary & olive
- oil over the burrata & garnish with flaky salt.
Notes
*To make a super creamy vegan ricotta: simply combine 8 oz. of vegan cream cheese with 8 oz. of vegan ricotta
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Cuisine: Italian
I have been so excited about this since you posted about it on Instagram! We will be eating this tonight or tomorrow. So so so excited!
Oh yay! That makes me SO happy! It is SUCH a great meal! I can’t wait for you guys to taste it :)
Hi Bella! I’m so looking forward to making this-I adore mushrooms as well! I know this sloooooooow cooked vegetarian bolognese will appeal to my carnivores;)-C
Awww, that makes me so happy to read Carolyn! Cannot wait to hear what you and the family think!
Oh My SWEEEET Jesus!!!!!!!!
haha!
these photos are RIDICULOUSLY BEAUTIFUL!!!
Thank you so much!
They are SSOOO STUNNING and they are all just DROOL WORTHY!!!
Awww, thank you!
can NOT wait to make this recipe and be in culinary bliss, the recipe list looks like it’s gonna be AMAZING!!!
YAY! I am super excited for you to make it!
So we finally ate this for dinner Saturday night. So amazingly delicious! Everything I could have possibly hoped for. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Hi,
The recipe looks delicious! How many servings does the recipe provide?
Thank you,
Lorri
Hello Lorri! The recipe should serve 4-6 people :)