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Mushroom Bolognese

Source of Recipe

From "Go-To Dinners: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook" by Ina Garten


Recipe Introduction

"My assistant Kristina Felix wanted to make a vegetarian pasta for dinner so she substituted cremini mushrooms for the ground sirloin in my Weeknight Bolognese and came up with a delicious meatless dinner!"

List of Ingredients

â—¦ Good olive oil
â—¦ 1 ½ pounds cremini mushrooms, brushed clean, trimmed, medium-diced
â—¦ 4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
â—¦ 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
â—¦ 1 ¼ cups dry red wine, such as Chianti, divided
â—¦ 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
â—¦ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
â—¦ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 1 pound dried pasta, such as large shells or rigatoni
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
â—¦ ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed, plus more for serving
â—¦ ¼ cup Italian mascarpone cheese
â—¦ ½ cup freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving


Recipe

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium (10-inch) Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until starting to brown. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook for one minute. Pour 1 cup of the wine into the pot and stir to scrape up any browned bits. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons salt and the pasta and cook al dente according to the directions on the box. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.

Add the remaining ¼ cup of wine, the nutmeg, basil, and mascarpone to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pasta and enough of the reserved pasta water to make a loose sauce and cook over low heat for 3 minutes, until the pasta has absorbed the sauce. Add a bit more cooking water if it's too thick. Off the heat, stir in the ½ cup of Parmesan. Sere hot sprinkled with extra Parmesan and basil.

Serves 4 to 6