TODAY Food Club

This vegetarian spin on the Italian classic, bolognese, is so delicious it is sure to please the whole family! It is also a great way to get the kids to eat more vegetables.

Mushroom Bolognese

• Yield: 4
• Prep Time: 30 min
• Cooking Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 medium sized carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 tbs thyme leaves, roughly chopped
• 10g (⅓ oz) dried wild mushrooms, reconstituted in 2½ tbs boiling water
• 500g (1 pound) mushrooms, diced
• 1 tbs tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine (shiraz and pinot noir work well here)
• 2 tbs soy sauce
• 400g (14oz) can of chopped Italian tomatoes
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 400g (14 oz) dried spaghetti

Preparation

1. Place a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil, onion, carrots and celery and season with salt. Cook until slightly golden and caramelised.
2. Add the mushrooms in 4 batches, making sure each batch is cooked before adding the next.Add the garlic and thyme, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Remove the wild mushrooms from the boiling water, reserving the water, and roughly chop the wild mushrooms. Add to the mushrooms along with the tomato paste. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the red wine, mushroom soaking liquid and soy sauce. Cook until the wine has almost evaporated before adding the tinned tomatoes and seasoning with salt.
4. Move the frying pan to your smallest burner, cover and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour (depending on your patience, check and stir occasionally to make sure it isn't catching), or until the sauce is thick and rich. Remove from the heat.
5. Just before the sauce is ready, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Season generously with salt, and add the spaghetti and cook according to the packet directions. Drain, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water and return to the saucepan and top with the mushroom bolognese and cooking water. Toss to combine and divide between 4 bowls to serve. Top with grated parmesan or nutritional yeast if you are vegan.

Recipe Tags

• Comfort Food
• Italian
• Entree