Vegetable Bolognese with Brown Rice Spaghetti
Serves: 6
My husband loves bolognese and it makes for such a wonderful company worthy dish. To make it healthier and just as delicious, we substitute mushrooms for the meat and serve it over fiber rich brown rice spaghetti. Make this for your meat eating friends and don’t tell them it’s plant based. I’m telling you; they’ll never know!
My husband loves bolognese and it makes for such a wonderful company worthy dish. To make it healthier and just as delicious, we substitute mushrooms for the meat and serve it over fiber rich brown rice spaghetti. Make this for your meat eating friends and don’t tell them it’s plant based. I’m telling you; they’ll never know!
Ingredients
- 1 (12 ounce) white onion, minced (1-½ cups)
- ⅓ pound finely chopped fresh portobello mushrooms, cremini or white button mushrooms, (1-½ cups chopped)
- 1 medium sized carrot, finely diced (½ cup) ½ cup finely diced celery
- 6 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped (2 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 cup tomato purée (we use Pomi salt free)
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup veggie stock
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
- 6 oz. brown rice spaghetti or half a package
- (8) basil leaves, chiffonade (thinly sliced) for garnish
- red pepper flakes, optional
Directions
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat for about 1-2 minutes. Place a little bit of onion in the pan, and if it sizzles, the pan is ready for the dry sauté technique. Add the rest of the onion, mushrooms, carrot, and celery and stir continuously for 2 minutes so that the vegetables don’t stick to the pan, and start to soften. Stir in a little water if the vegetables start to stick.
- Turn down the heat to medium low, cover the pan, and allow the vegetables to steam and release their oils and juices for 2 minutes. Remove cover, give it a stir and notice if the vegetables are softening. If not, cover again on low heat, and allow the vegetables to steam for a couple of more minutes, or until tender.
- Remove the cover and add garlic, parsley and rosemary. Sauté for about 3 minutes to release their aromatics.
- Add the tomato puree, the vegetable stock and water. Bring the sauce to a simmer and season with freshly ground black pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Bring a 5-quart pot of water to a boil over high heat.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions. This particular brand of pasta takes 16-18 minutes to cook. It’s worth it, I promise!
- Drain the pasta, reserving ¼ cup of pasta water, in case the Bolognese sauce needs thinning.
- Return the drained pasta to the warm pot over medium low heat. Add the sauce, stir to combine, and cook briefly so the pasta absorbs the sauce. Add reserved pasta water, only, if the sauce seems dry.
Place the Vegetable Bolognese in a warmed pasta bowl and sprinkle with the chiffonade of basil. I like to have red pepper flakes on hand in case any of the guests want to add heat.
Cook's Notes: I often find recipes, usually starring animal protein, from a cookbook by a favorite chef. I plant-base it by using their techniques and spice combinations and substitute vegetables, grains, beans or legumes for the animal, and vegetable stock for the beef or chicken stock. Give it a try!
