If you saw the Pork dish I made last night, you too would want to have a vegetarian dish as a follow-up meal. I’m also really excited to share this recipe for a Mushroom Bolognese sauce. This pasta dish is for those that love mushrooms and you’re looking for a way to serve them as a main or offer your family a filling meal. Mushroom Bolognese to the rescue.
This dish is very accessible, most pragmatic (make it your way) and did I mention filling and delicious? In essence, this sauce is a mushroom and tomato sauce served on your choice of pasta but I recommend trying fettucine for this instance…it suited the thick, chunky sauce. The title “Mushroom Bolognese” refers to mushrooms as being the main ingredient of the sauce – no meat here…other than meaty mushrooms. Mushrooms are the protein here, the star, the feature in this recipe (which I’m sure will be added to your family’s meal rotation).
I first saw this recipe in my RSS feed of friends’ blog posts but I can’t seem to find the blog post that inspired me to try this dish out. If you’re out there, send me a note – leave a comment…I want to say “THANK YOU” to Elaine of the Italian Dish Blog! While I was looking for Mushroom Bolgnese ideas, I found many and another inspiring dish I came across was from Emily Richards, of Food Network Canada and Canadian Living Cooks fame. Many of the mushroom bolognese dishes have similarities and others have their own unique flare to them.
I chose Fettucine pasta, added the broth from re-hydrating some dried Porcini mushrooms, some white wine to add more depth to the sauce and dried Greek oregano (I couldn’t resist). Put your own twist to this substantive vegetarian pasta dish and if you love mushrooms…go ahead and splurge on a variety of mushrooms. I opted to use Cremini (more flavour than white button mushrooms) and some Oyster mushrooms and the dried Porcinis. How could this dish not taste good?
Fettucine With Mushroom Bolognese
(serves 4)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion (1 cup) diced
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 carrot, peeled and passed through a box grater
1 stalk of celery, finely diced
2-3 bay leaves
3 cups of assorted mushrooms, chopped (I used Cremini & Oyster)
1/4 cip dried Porcini mushrooms
2 cups hot water
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
2 cups of crushed (canned) plum tomatoes
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. dried Greek oregano
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 package (500gr) of dry fettuccine noodles
coarse sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
grated Parmesan cheese
- Place a large skillet on your stove-top over medium-high heat and add the olive oil, onions, garlic, carrot, celery, mushrooms and bay leaves and saute for 8-10 minutes while stirring. Season with some sea salt and fresh ground pepper and reduce the heat to medium and continue to simmer the vegetables for another 5 minutes or until almost all the liquid has cooked off.
- In the meantime, to rehydrate your dried mushrooms, boil 2 cups water and place in a bowl with your dried mushrooms and cover. Allow to steep for 10 minutes and pour the mushroom stock through a fine mesh strainer and chop and add the re-hydrated mushrooms along with the wine, grated nutmeg and bring to a simmer and reduce the liquid to half. Add some more salt and pepper to taste.
- Now add the crushed plum tomatoes, thyme leaves and bring back to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook until the sauce is thick (about 30 minutes). Adjust seasoning once again with salt and pepper, stir in the dried oregano and remove the bay leaves.
- In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil then season well with salt then add the pasta, stir until the water comes back to a boil and cook according to package instructions. Strain the pasta and add to the mushroom sauce (place under low heat if sauce has cooled) and toss to coat well. Divide and plate, top with chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.
- As a wine pairing, I’ve been really enjoying this Yellow Tail Shiraz-Grenache from Australia. I’ve had this wine with pizza, a traditional spaghetti & meat sauce and with this Mushroom Bolognese.
If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at https://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.
© 2007-2010 Peter Minakis
Looks absolutely delicious!
This sounds perfectly delicious, Peter! Bookmarked it!
lovely!One of my favorite pasta dish!
Those photos are so tantalizing. Your combo of different mushrooms is a winner.
It does look filling and delicious. The mushroomm sauce is beautiful!
Bologna is the name of one of the most famous and popular sauces in the world but in Italy, where the sauce was born, do not add the mushrooms, it is only made with ground beef and tomato….
As I get older my palate has changed and nowadays I can’t get enough of the previously abhored mushrooms. I am learning about different types in small ways. This Bolognese would be the way to continue by mushroom love.
This looks really wonderful. I may try it later this week, perfect comfort food!
This is my kind of meal Peter. I am drooling looking at it, I adore mushroom recipes.
I adore mushrooms so this looks pretty incredible. Never really heard of a mushroom bolognese. The pasta looks especially appetizing with the cheese grated on top. great recipe.
This looks like the perfect dinner for Meatless Monday tomorrow!
Delicious! that tagliatelle dish is mouthwatering.
cheers,
Rosa
I love using mushrooms in lieu of beef in pasta and pizza. For me, I just enjoy the flavor more. My favorite lasagna is a white Bechamel sauce with tomatoes and sauteed mushrooms!
Looks wonderful and hearty and will soon be on my plate.
Oh, you did a fabulous job with the recipe! Nutmeg is a good idea.
My kind of pasta, Peter. I like the idea of adding Oregano too.
I do the same. After a few days of meat dishes I just want something completely different and meat free. This pasta looks perfect for such a feeling. Very hearty and nutritious!
Looks wonderful! That tagliatelle is irresistible!
Wow! Yum! I am always looking for great vegetarian recipes AND great pasta recipes and this one looks out of this world delicious! Your flavorings are fabulous! Bookmarked! Thanks, Peter!
No one would miss the meat in there for sure!
Great vegie dish Peter! I usually opt for the “tuna pasta” on nights I want to make something quick. Def must try this mushroom sauce. Love the nutmeg and oregano touches you have provided.
This looks totally fab! YUM!
I’m a huge mushroom fan and I’m always looking for new recipe ideas. I love this one.
Those are my 3 favourite mushrooms….how could it not be amazing. :)
Peter…. it seems that you are really having great and delicious time there in Toronto!!!
Mas anoikses pali tin oereksi!!!!
Υπέροχη συνταγή.Και υγιεινή, χωρίς τα πολλά λιπαρά που έχουν συνήθως οι σάλτσες ζυμαρικών.Ευχαριστούμε!
This is a very classic way for vegetarians to have bolognese without resorting to weird processed fake meat products. You look like you had a lot of fun with the flavors.
Although I could eat pork every day. Not sure I’d ever need a “break” from it. ;-)
Your photos and descriptions are reminding me that I haven’t had mushrooms in -forever- and I want some!
Looks great Peter! The mushrooms are definitely the star on this dish.
I am putting this on my “try” list…. Thinking about using 1 cup of sliced crimini, 1 cup of course chopped portabellas, and 1 cup of oyster… What do you think about using fresh shiitake instead of the dried porcini? Possible?
– Brittany
Brittany, thank you for your note…of course you may use shitatakis…it’s a liberal recipe with many flavour variations…depending on the combo of mushrooms you use.
Mushrooms are definitely one of my favrite ingredients but I don’t use them often enough. This is a great vegetarian bolognese.
Amazing dish, I love mushrooms, and this combination sounds like a winner!