Bolognese is the ultimate comfort food and a family favorite, so naturally I needed to come up with a solid recipe to have in my repertoire. I have tried many variations with different “meat substitutions” such as lentils and tofu, which were okay but not a 100% convincing. I also prefer to use whole foods in my cooking, so using processed fake meat wasn’t an option. Ultimately, I found the perfect plantbased ragu sauce base: mushrooms. They have “meaty” texture, an umami flavor and make up a delicious bolognese and will even win the biggest meat lover’s heart.
Serves two.
Ingredients: (preferably organic)
- 2.5 cups brown champignons, finely diced
- 1 medium sized carrot, finely diced
- 1 stalk of celery, finely diced
- ½ yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, finely diced
- 2 tbsp avocado or olive oil
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- fresh thyme, to taste (dried works too)
- 2 bay leaves
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- pasta of choice
- basil, for garnish
Directions:
01. In a pot, heat up the oil to medium heat, add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent.
02. Add the carrot and celery (make sure they are diced super finely!) and cook until they begin to soften, about five minutes. Stir frequently.
03. Add the mushrooms and cook for another five minutes, stirring frequently.
04. Combine in the tomato paste, season with thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cook for five minutes while stirring to build the flavor.
05. Pour in the canned tomato and broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat again to medium and simmer for 40-50 minutes with the lid closed. Check on it from time to time and stir, to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.
06. Shortly before the sauce is done, cook the pasta according to the instructions.
07. Remove the bay leaves and taste the bolognese, add some more salt and pepper if necessary.
08. Plate the pasta and sauce. I like to add raw greens like arugula to my plate as it makes the meal alkaline and brings a fresh note to the dish. Top with lots of basil, serve and enjoy!!
