Italian🍜 Noodles & pasta

Hearty Vegetable Bolognese (Meatless)

Name: Hearty Vegetable Bolognese (Meatless)
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: ~3 Portobello mushrooms; 1 Sweet onion; 3-4 Carrots; ~2-3 stalks Celery; 1.5-2 tbsp Chopped garlic; ~2-3 sprigs Fresh thyme (or rosemary or sage, pick one); 28 oz Canned whole tomatoes; 4 oz Tomato paste; 2 tbsp Olive oil; 12 oz Red wine; 2 cups Vegetable stock; ~1 cup Milk; ~1 tbsp Harissa; to taste Porcini mushroom salt (or regular kosher salt); to taste Black pepper; ~2-3 tbsp Fresh basil leaves, chopped; ~2 tbsp Fresh parsley; 1 lb Orecchiette pasta; ~2 tbsp Butter; ~½ cup Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

⏱ 90 min

Chef Jean-Pierre swaps ground meat and sausage for diced portobello mushrooms to build a vegetarian Bolognese so good, no one will guess it's meatless. A classic sofrito of onion, carrot, and celery forms the base, simmered with red wine, tomatoes, vegetable stock, and a touch of milk for richness, then tossed with orecchiette pasta and finished with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Adapted from a video by Chef Jean-Pierre

Hearty Vegetable Bolognese A rich, meaty flavor—without the meat! | Chef Jean-Pierre

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

Portobello mushroomsStems and gills removed, diced small, used as the meat substitute~3est.
Sweet onionMay need 2-3 depending on size1
CarrotsShredded with a cheese grater3-4
CeleryDiced very small~2-3 stalksest.
Chopped garlic1.5-2 tbsp
Fresh thyme (or rosemary or sage, pick one)~2-3 sprigsest.
Canned whole tomatoes28 oz
Tomato paste

Steps

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1
Heat olive oil in a pot and sauté the onion until lightly golden.
2
Clean the portobello mushrooms, remove the stems and gills, and dice into small pieces to mimic ground meat.
3
Add the diced mushrooms to the pot and sauté over high heat to release their water, seasoning with porcini mushroom salt (or regular salt) to help draw out moisture.
4
Add fresh thyme and chopped garlic, continuing to sauté until fragrant.
5
Stir in the shredded carrots and finely diced celery, continuing to sweat the vegetables to build the sofrito.
6
Pour in the red wine (or vegetable stock) and let it reduce by about half until it tastes smooth rather than harsh.
7
Add the vegetable stock, whole canned tomatoes, and tomato paste, stirring to give the sauce body.
8
Season with salt, black pepper, harissa, and a splash of milk to marry the flavors together, a traditional touch in Bolognese sauce.
9
Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for about an hour, leaving the pot uncovered and stirring occasionally to let excess water evaporate and prevent scorching.
10
During the simmer, stir in chopped basil and a bit more milk to taste, softening the sauce's flavor.
11
Cook the orecchiette pasta until done, drain, and toss with a bit of butter.
12
Combine the cooked pasta with the sauce and a splash of pasta water, tossing until well coated.
13
Plate the pasta, top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and fresh basil, and serve immediately.

Hearty Vegetable Bolognese (Meatless)

Ingredients

Steps

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