Vegan Mushroom Bolognese Recipe

This dish is rich, delicious, and plant-based too - for added feelgood factor!

Published October 2020

This month, we welcome our new Marketing & Communications Assistant, Ruth, who has kindly shared her favourite autumn recipe with us on the Goodheart blog.

Ruth says:

“I love this season and all the things that come with it, like autumnal walks, cosy jumpers, and of course – comfort food. I’m thrilled to be joining the team, and so as a huge foodie, I wanted to share one of my all-time favourite warming recipes with the sanctuary’s supporters.

This Mushroom Bolognese recipe makes a perfect dinner or hearty lunch, and while the veg takes a little bit of time to prep, trust me it is worth it. The porcini mushrooms make an incredibly rich and delicious sauce that’s so full of flavour – plus, it’s completely vegan for added feelgood factor!”

Vegan Mushroom Bolognese

Serves 6.

Ingredients:

dried porcini mushrooms 30g
olive oil 2 tbsp
chestnut mushrooms 500g, finely diced
onions 2, chopped
garlic 5 cloves, crushed
carrots 2, grated
celery 2 stalks, finely diced
thyme leaves chopped to make 1 tsp
rosemary leaves chopped to make 1 tsp
celery salt 1 tsp
tomato purée 2 tbsp
chopped tomatoes 2 x 400g tins
Worcestershire sauce, a splash (we use this one from TheVeganKind Supermarket)
basil ½ a small bunch, torn
dark chocolate, a small square (Asda has a 70% dark chocolate bar which is suitable for vegans).
tagliatelle 400g

Method:

Put the porcini mushrooms into a bowl and pour over 200ml of boiling water. Set aside to soak while you make the sauce.
Place a large pot over a high heat and drizzle in half of the olive oil. Once hot, tip in the diced chestnut mushrooms and a pinch of salt, then fry until they start to soften, stirring occasionally. After a few minutes, the mushrooms will start to produce liquid, but keep stirring until all of this has been released and then disappears. This is such an important step and the key to getting a delicious base. You want to get to a stage where all the liquid has evaporated, and the mushrooms are dark golden brown and smelling fragrant. Once this has happened, remove the mushrooms, and set aside.
Turn the heat down slightly, add in the rest of the olive oil and the garlic, onions, carrots, and celery, and stir. After a minute or so, place a lid on the pan and cook for approximately 10 minutes. If you don’t have a non-stick pan, or if the heat is too high, the veg can stick, so I add a bit of water now and then to help stop this.
Once the veg has softened, and the onions and carrots have started to go slightly translucent, add in the thyme, rosemary, celery salt, and tomato purée, and stir.
Remove the porcini mushrooms from their liquid, chop roughly, and add to the sauce. Next, add the porcini liquid, pouring it in slowly to avoid adding any grit that might be at the bottom of the bowl. You can also strain the liquid through a piece of kitchen towel to avoid this.
Add the cooked chestnut mushrooms back in, along with the Worcestershire sauce. Add the chopped tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the veg has softened but still has a slight bite.
This next step is optional but helps to make the sauce rich and thick. Take a ladleful of the mixture out and blend until smooth, before adding it back into the pot. At this stage, I also sometimes add in a square of dark chocolate.
Cook the tagliatelle following pack instructions, then drain and stir through the sauce, along with the chopped basil. Enjoy!

Adapted from this recipe by Olive magazine.