Super hearty, intensely savory, and packed with Italian spices, this mushroom Bolognese sauce is sure to satisfy vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike. Perfect for a meatless pasta night!
One time someone asked me what I planned to do when I ran out of recipe ideas for the blog. I don't think that will ever happen! For one thing, there's so much you can do with food to begin with. For another thing, the fact that this site is vegan means I have lots of recipes to cover.
You might think keeping my recipes vegan would be limiting. Nope! For every recipe I veganize, there are about a million and one ways to go about it.
Case in point: meat sauce. I've covered this one lots of times, just because there are so many ingredients that are awesome in place of meat. I've done lentils, tempeh, cauliflower + walnuts. And today, mushrooms.
And each one is a very different dish!
I think mushroom Bolognese is my favorite. Finely diced and sautéed mushrooms are the perfect texture and give just the right amount of savory flavor to this sauce. And, whereas tempeh might scare away someone who is used to meat-based meat sauce, mushrooms are pretty appealing to vegans, vegetarians and omnivores alike.
Start by finely chopping up your mushrooms, and then sautéing them in some olive oil. Once the mushrooms are browned, remove them from the skillet and add celery, carrots and onion. Give them a few minutes to soften up, then add garlic, wine, and return the mushrooms to the skillet. Finally, in goes some crushed tomatoes, non-dairy milk and spices. Simmer until thick and rich.
Spoon it over your pasta and enjoy!
FAQ & Tips for Making Awesome Mushroom Bolognese
- Make sure to clean your mushrooms correctly. Don't rinse them — they'll suck up water like crazy and get soggy when you cook them! Instead, wipe them down with a damp cloth.
- Resist the temptation to stir your mushrooms while they're cooking. Let them sit and sizzle for a few minutes so they brown.
- Why does this recipe use so much oil? Because mushrooms suck up quite a bit of oil while they cook. If you want to cut back on the amount, I recommend using a really good nonstick skillet (well seasoned cast iron should work nicely), keep the heat on the low side, and watch them closely to avoid burning.
- Can I just sauté my mushrooms in water or broth? If you like this method and have had luck with it in the past, go for it. I don't personally like it for mushrooms because they tend to get waterlogged and don't brown.
- Is there a substitute for the wine? You can just leave it out if you don't cook with alcohol.
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Pasta with Mushroom Bolognese
Super hearty, intensely savory, and packed with Italian spices, this mushroom Bolognese sauce is sure to satisfy vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike. Perfect for a meatless pasta night!
Ingredients
- 10 ounces dried pasta of choice (I used fettuccine)
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus a dash, divided
- ¾ pound assorted fresh mushrooms*, cleaned and finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 medium celery stalks, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ¾ cup dry red wine
- ½ cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon crushed fennel seed
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it according to the package directions.
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Drain the pasta into a colander and toss it with a dash of olive oil to prevent sticking.
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Coat the bottom of a large skillet with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and place it over medium heat.
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When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms in an even layer.
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Allow the mushrooms to cook until browned on the bottoms, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook about 5 minutes more.
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Remove the mushrooms from the skillet and transfer them to a plate.
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Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. When the oil is hot, add the onion, carrots and celery. Sauté until the veggies begin to soften, about 10 minutes.
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Add the garlic to the skillet and sauté 1 minute, until very fragrant.
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Return the mushrooms to the skillet and add the wine. Bring it to a boil, lower the heat and allow it to simmer until reduced by about half, about 5 minutes.
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Stir in the milk, tomatoes, tomato paste, soy sauce, thyme, basil, oregano, and fennel. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
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Lower the heat and allow it to simmer for about 20 minutes, until the veggies are fully cooked and the sauce is thick and rich.
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Remove from heat and season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste.
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Divide the pasta among plates and top with the mushroom Bolognese sauce. Serve.
Recipe Notes
*I used a mix of button, cremini, oyster and shiitake. Use what you like though!
Does this sauce freeze?
I haven't frozen it myself, but I don't see why not!
I am oil and sugar free diet , Can I omit oil?
You could try substituting water or broth, but I find the texture of mushrooms is never quite right using this method.
This looks absolutely mouthwatering!
Thank you so much Nicole!!
Wow, that looks INCREDIBLY delicious!!!
Thank you so much Sandra!
Oh my, this was so delicious!! And yes, it freezes extremely well. In fact, I had a serving, froze it, had another serving, then re-froze it and had the rest... and it was just as delicious as the first time. This is now going to be a true staple in my house; I'm going to make a triple batch and just freeze it in portions. It's also great to make up the pasta and sauce together and freeze in containers portioned for a great hot work lunch. Thank you!!
Yay!! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! Thanks Sindy!
This success is soooooo good! I am somone who misses meat and this sauce has such full flavor that it is delicious and absolutely satisfying...wow! I do not miss meat when I eat like this, thank you!!
The only thing I added was fresh fennel to the sofrito.
Fennel sounds like a delicious addition! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Ceri!
Could I use vegetable broth in place of the red wine. Thanks .
You can just leave it out and skip the simmering portion of step 9.