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This Mushroom Bolognese is packed with savory flavor and prepared in just under one hour. The “meaty” flavor of the sauce comes from mushrooms, making this pasta totally vegan. Loaded with lots of veggies like carrots, celery, and tomatoes, it’s a plant-based twist on the classic Italian bolognese or ragu.
When developing this vegetarian bolognese sauce, I wanted to make sure it was still hearty and comforting. The base of the sauce is still authentic to the Italian dish and uses onions, carrots, and celery (very similar to the ragu I had at a cooking class in the hills of Tuscany!).
Garlic and tomato paste infuse a deep, rich savory flavor while red wine adds a bit of acidity. Then along with the mushrooms, I also add some roasted eggplant to the bolognese for more texture.
What is Bolognese?
Bolognese, also called ragu, is a Northern Italian meat sauce generally made of beef (or pork), pancetta and aromatics such as carrots, onions and celery. According to the Food Lover’s Companion, the pasta sauce is often enhanced with a splash of milk or wine along with spices.
Ingredients Needed
Making Bolognese Vegan
The key to making an umami-filled vegetarian bolognese sauce without meat is to load it with veggies that are naturally full of umami.
Without a doubt, mushrooms are one of those ingredients. During the cooking process, mushrooms and eggplant release excess liquid and take on a concentrated texture and flavor. Together, they make a beautiful, umami-rich sauce.
How to Make Vegetarian Mushroom Bolognese
- Start the vegetarian bolognese by cooking down the eggplant—this will do two things. One, it cooks out excess liquid and concentrates and texture and flavor of the eggplant. Two, it creates a deep fond on the bottom of the pan with creates deep, rich umami flavor.
- Cook the onion, carrot, celery and mushrooms until tender.
- Add the tomato paste, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with red wine, then stir in the canned tomatoes, eggplant, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper then simmer until reduced and thickened.
- While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Season the water heavily with kosher salt (at least a tablespoon). Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions, or until al dente.
- Toss the pasta with the mushroom bolognese then top with fresh basil, toasted pine nuts and a sprinkle of Parmesan. (Skip the Parmesan if you or anyone else is vegan).
Expert Tips
- Garnish with cheese or vegan cheese. I highly recommend serving this with some grated or shaved Parmesan. And if you’ve got a Parmesan rind lying around, throw that into the pot while it’s simmering. It will infuse the sauce with even more umami flavor.
- Add more mushrooms. If you don’t like eggplant, just substitute with more mushrooms, just as delicious!
- Use a food processor for chopping. If you would prefer not to hand chop all the veggies, just add them to a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped.
- Caramelize the tomato paste. Be sure to cook the tomato paste for a minute until deep red and caramelized. This enhances the flavor for a richer sauce.
- Swap the wine. If you prefer not to use red wine, just use vegetable broth instead.
What to Serve with Mushroom Bolognese
We love pairing this recipe with a light and simple salad to balance the heartiness of flavors in the recipe. Here are some of our favorites:
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Mushroom Bolognese (Vegan)
Description
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Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound eggplant, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 8 ounces baby bella or button mushrooms, cut into ½-inch pieces (3½ cups)
- 1 cup diced onion (1 small or ½ of a medium onion)
- ¾ cup diced carrot
- ¾ cup diced celery
- 4 large cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup dry red wine, divided
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 2 teaspoons dried
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, or ½ teaspoon dried
- 1 pound dry rigatoni or pappardelle pasta
- ¼ basil, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, for serving (optional)
- Parmesan cheese for serving, optional
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high until shimmering. Add eggplant and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes until browned and softened; season with salt. (The eggplant will create a deep fond on bottom of pot—the vegetables and red wine will pull that up and add depth of flavor to the sauce.)
- Transfer eggplant to a medium bowl; add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to Dutch oven.
- Reduce heat to medium and add mushrooms, onion, carrot, and celery; season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 8–10 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Deglaze pan with ¾ cup of wine; cook 1 minute. Add reserved eggplant, tomatoes, oregano, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil; add a tablespoon of kosher salt and pasta. Cook pasta according to directions on package until al dente.
- While pasta is cooking, add remaining wine and basil to sauce. Simmer for an additional 5–10 minutes. When ready, drain pasta and transfer to a large serving bowl, add desired amount of sauce and toss to combine. Top with additional basil, pine nuts, and Parmesan, if using.
Notes
- Store any leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat the sauce in a saucepan over medium low heat until warmed through, 3 to 4 minutes. It’s best to make new pasta to serve when reheating the sauce.
- This sauce is a great prep ahead recipe and is perfect for the freezer. Store in an airtight container in the freezer to 1 to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Nutrition
I think this could be improved with the addition of dried porcini mushrooms. Nice recipe however.
This recipe was amazing! Highly recommend it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!