Mushroom Bolognese Sauce

Yield: 4 Servings

Mushroom Bolognese Sauce

Mushroom Bolognese Sauce

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours

Ingredients

  • 1 ea Large Eggplant
  • ½ Cup Carrot, Finely Chopped
  • ½ Cup Yellow Onion, Finely Chopped
  • ¼ Cup Celery, Finely Chopped
  • 1 TBS Garlic, Chopped
  • 1 Qt Cremini Mushrooms, Sliced (about 3 retail packages)
  • 1 qt Shitake Mushrooms, Sliced +
  • 1 Generous Cup Shitake Mushrooms, quartered or halved
  • 1 TBS Fresh Sage or Rosemary Leaves, chopped
  • 1 TBS Parsley Leaves, Chopped
  • 1 TBS Basil Leaves, Chopped
  • 1 tsp Dried Thyme
  • ¼ Cup Dried Porcini, Chopped (approx.. 1 2oz package)
  • 2 Generous TBS Tomato Paste
  • 1 Generous TBS Red Miso
  • ½ C Dry, Full-Bodied Red Wine
  • 1 28oz Can Whole Peeled Tomatoes, Tomato Pieces Crushed By Hand or with a Potato Masher
  • To Finish: ¼ C Heavy Cream or Unsweetened Soy Milk, Traditional or Plant Based Parmesan Cheese and Butter, to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat Broiler. Place eggplant on foil lined pan on top rack.  Broil until evenly charred on all sides.
  2. Lower Oven to 375, move eggplant to middle rack and roast until completely collapsed and tender. Cut in half to release steam and set aside until cool enough to handle.  Use a large spoon to scrape out the flesh then coarsely chop and reserve.
  3. In a food processor, combine sliced cremini and shitake.  Pulse to chop fine (to the size of a grain of rice). Toss chopped mushrooms with a olive oil to moisten and season with salt and pepper.  Spread on a lined sheet pan and roasted until browned but not overly dry and crispy.  Set aside.
  4. Heat a large heavy skillet and add enough olive to coat the bottom by an 1/8”. Add carrot, onion and celery and cook over medium high heat, stirring often until softened and starting to brown.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.
  5. Push the vegetables to one side, add a little more oil if the pan looks dry then add the quartered shitakes and garlic. Cook until browned then stir in herbs, roasted chopped mushrooms and cook 1 minute. Push to one side then spoon in tomato paste and miso into the open spot in the pan. Cook for a minute or two to brown a bit then mix in with the rest of the vegetables in the pan. Cook for a minute or two more until you see a thin
    brown fond developing on the bottom of the pan (but if that doesn’t happen or if using a non-stick pan, don’t sweat it.)
  6. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits and simmer until reduced 75%, about 5 minutes. Add in the crushed tomatoes and eggplant and lower heat to medium.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and full flavored. 
  7. Finish with regular or plant based butter, cream or unsweetened soy milk and cheese if desired.  Serve with your favorite pasta or over polenta. 
  8. For a different taste, replace Italian herbs with cumin, cilantro and ground chile powder for a vegetarian
    chili.  Enjoy!

    This recipe will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days (it actually improves in flavor if allowed to sit overnight before serving.)  The sauce also freezes well.  Place in a freezer safe Ziploc bag or container for up to 3 months.  Reheat over low heat, adding a little water or vegetable broth if it seems dry. 

© matthewgarelick