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Recipe
50 min

Mushroom Bolognese

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Mushroom Bolognese
Author: America's Test Kitchen

Recipe By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 26, 2024

A good Bolognese sauce is savory, lush, and decadent. To mimic the meat sauce's long-cooked richness, we turned to the mighty mushroom.

Time

50 min

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Why This Recipe Works

Two types of mushrooms helped us replicate that complexity. Dried porcini delivered depth of flavor while 2 pounds of fresh cremini gave the sauce a satisfying, substantial texture. To further round out the sauce's savory flavor, we added two umami-rich ingredients soy sauce and tomato paste. Red wine lent richness and depth and a little sugar balanced the dish. Bolognese often includes a pour of cream; we found that some soy creamer—just 3 tablespoons—stirred in at the end rounded out the sauce and made it silky.

Ingredients

2 pounds cremini mushroom, trimmed and quartered
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon organic sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
½ cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons unsweetened soy creamer
1 pound fettuccine or linguine

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

step 1 imagestep 2 imagestep 3 imagestep 4 image
  1. Working in batches, pulse cremini mushrooms in food processor until pieces are no larger than ½ inch, 5 to 7 pulses; transfer to large bowl. Pulse carrot and onion in now-empty processor until finely chopped, 5 to 7 pulses; transfer to bowl with processed mushrooms. Pulse tomatoes and their juice in now-empty processor until finely chopped, 6 to 8 pulses; set aside separately.
  2. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add processed vegetables and porcini mushrooms, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until vegetables begin to brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
  3. Stir in garlic and sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in wine and simmer until nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes.
  4. Stir in processed tomatoes, broth, soy sauce, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce has thickened but is still moist, 8 to 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in soy creamer.
  5. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add sauce and toss to combine. Adjust consistency with reserved cooking water as needed, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
    Recipe Tip
    Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month; if frozen, thaw completely in refrigerator.

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Mushroom Bolognese

Recipe By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 26, 2024

Time

50 min

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Mushroom Bolognese

Ingredients

2 pounds cremini mushroom, trimmed and quartered1 carrot, peeled and chopped1 small onion, chopped1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and minced3 garlic cloves, minced1 teaspoon organic sugar2 tablespoons tomato paste1 cup dry red wine½ cup vegetable broth1 tablespoon soy sauceSalt and pepper3 tablespoons unsweetened soy creamer1 pound fettuccine or linguine

Instructions

  1. Working in batches, pulse cremini mushrooms in food processor until pieces are no larger than ½ inch, 5 to 7 pulses; transfer to large bowl. Pulse carrot and onion in now-empty processor until finely chopped, 5 to 7 pulses; transfer to bowl with processed mushrooms. Pulse tomatoes and their juice in now-empty processor until finely chopped, 6 to 8 pulses; set aside separately.
  2. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add processed vegetables and porcini mushrooms, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until vegetables begin to brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
  3. Stir in garlic and sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in wine and simmer until nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes.
  4. Stir in processed tomatoes, broth, soy sauce, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce has thickened but is still moist, 8 to 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in soy creamer.
  5. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add sauce and toss to combine. Adjust consistency with reserved cooking water as needed, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
    Recipe Tip
    Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month; if frozen, thaw completely in refrigerator.
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