This recipe is a bit more time consuming than my usuals, but so worth it. Especially on a cold winter day. It will warm up your kitchen with heat and delicious aromas.
Ingredients:
-2 pounds cremini mushrooms quartered
-1 large green pepper finely chopped
-1 large carrot peeled and finely chopped
-1 medium onion finely chopped
-1 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
-3 tablespoon avocado oil
-1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and minced
-4 to 5 garlic cloves minced
-1 teaspoon maple syrup
-4 tablespoon tomato paste
-1 cup dry red wine
-1/2 cup vegetable broth
-1 tablespoon soy sauce
-1 tablespoon peach hot sauce
-Sea salt and pepper to taste
-1/2 cup cashew milk
-1 pound of your favourite pasta
Method:
Pulse the cremini mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped. You may need to work in batches if you have a small food processor. Transfer to a bowl.
Pulse the green pepper, carrot and onion until finely chopped and add to the mushroom bowl.
Pulse tomatoes and their juice until finely chopped and set aside.
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add processed vegetables, 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 about 15 minutes.
Stir in garlic and maple syrup 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.
Stir in processed tomatoes, broth, soy sauce, hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to simmer.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce has thickened, but is still moist, about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in cashew milk.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.
Add pasta and 1 tablespoon of salt and cook stirring often until al dente.
Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to the pot.
Add sauce and toss to combine.
Adjust consistency with reserved cooking water and fine-tune with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with fresh basil and Brazil nut parmesan.
Voila! Plant-based bolognese.
*Adapted from America's Test Kitchen
