Mushroom Bolognese
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 2 medium sized celery ribs, diced
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, grated or minced
- 3/4 cup red wine
- about 1 pound of mushrooms (half baby bellas, half shiitake), chopped
- 1 ounce of dried porcini mushrooms
- 1.5 cups vegetable broth
- 1 15-ounce can whole tomatoes, crushed
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce or puree
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Directions
- Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in 1 cup of very warm water and let sit for 20 minutes. Strain through a cheesecloth or a coffee filter and keep the liquid. Do not use a metal mesh strainer for this step - it is not fine enough. Chop the porcini mushrooms and set aside.
- Saute the onion, carrot and celery in a large pot in the olive oil with a big pinch of kosher or sea salt and a few grindings of pepper. Let the vegetables cook for about 8 minutes, on low heat. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Increase heat and add the wine. Cook for 5 minutes, making sure the wine is simmering. Add all of the mushrooms.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, including the reserved porcini mushroom liquid. Simmer, uncovered, for about an hour to an hour and a half, until the sauce has reduced down and a lot of the liquid has cooked off - cook until you like the thickness of the sauce. Taste for salt and adjust seasoning.