Mushroom Bolognese

My brother Mike is a picky eater. To this day, he's never eaten a green vegetable. Growing up with a single-mom who worked and a picky sibling meant that our family had a limited range of meal options that worked for everyone. One thing Mike liked was spaghetti. Spaghetti with ground beef and jarred tomato sauce, to be exact. 

"Spaghetti? Again?" sums up home-cooked meals in the Wooten household through the 90s and 00s. What my brother chooses to eat amazes all of us. At a recent Thanksgiving, my sister nudged me and nodded towards Mike. Mike, totally oblivious, had his usual massive helpings of turkey and rolls, but on the side he had a tiny spoonful of something else: Stove top stuffing. The rest of the table slowly realized the magnitude of this event, eventually bursting into laughter. Of course, Mike only said "What?...What's so funny?" This was the first time anyone had seen Mike eat stuffing. It was a Thanksgiving miracle.

I've got my fingers crossed for mashed potatoes this year.

Mike's spaghetti habit meant that we consumed countless gallons of meat sauce over the years. Brown 1 pound of ground beef. Add a jar of sauce. Boring, basic meat sauce. I am so over it.

But, I am so not over pasta. I needed to get creative with my tomato sauce. And here's the answer: mushrooms. Mushrooms are a great meat-substitute for an unconvinced carnivore. This Mushroom Bolognese is my vegetarian answer to the traditional Bolognese, typically made with ground pork and/or beef. You could use any fresh mushroom you like, but I used cremini. Take your time and let the flavors develop. Feel free to make less pasta and freeze leftover sauce for later. Vegan? No problem, just skip the butter and Parmesan, and replace honey with agave or sugar.

Mushroom Bolognese
Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 T. butter (optional)
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 lb. mushrooms, diced
• 1 t. garlic, minced
• 2 16 oz. cans diced tomatoes
• 1/4 c. red wine
• 1 t. Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 pinch pepper flakes
• 1 T. honey
• water
• Parmesan, grated (optional)
• 1 lb whole wheat pasta

In a large skillet, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and mushrooms, and cook for 15 minutes until caramelized and fragrant, seasoning with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and pepper flakes, stirring frequently. Add garlic, and cook briefly. Add tomatoes, wine, and honey. Stir and simmer on low until reduced by half (about 20 minutes). Add water to cover about 1 inch, and simmer on low until reduced by half (about 20 minutes). At this time, bring large pot of water to boil to cook pasta.

Remove the sauce from heat. Puree sauce with an immersion blender or a food processor. Drop the pasta and cook until al dente. Return sauce to heat, and taste. Season as needed. You may need extra honey if it is too acidic. The flavors will continue to develop the longer the sauce simmers. Add pasta water to thin if necessary. Serve over cooked pasta with Parmesan if you like. Enjoy!