It has been some time since I last posted, I even found old drafts of recipes still on this site which are mostly done but I will have to brush the cobwebs away and try and remember what in the world I was thinking at the time. However, and in good time, I will publish those too. I am sorry for my delays but motivation was really lacking for a while and creating was less of a priority. Heck, I do not even know if anybody follows me any longer. At any rate, regardless of whether there is “a following”, I am back.

I had been thinking about this particular recipe for a couple of years and had an idea of how to do it but was never able to figure out the logistics. This is a meatless recipe for a bolognese sauce and it is a decent recipe for those that need a lighter alternative to heavy meat sauces. I mean, I do like a good bolognese but having to sleep for a few days like a boa constrictor digesting his meal can be a bit, how you say, unproductive. I used this to make a nice lasagna and it turned out delicious. I hope you try it and please let me know how it turned out for you.

It Ain’t Got No Meat?!

(Portobello mushroom bolognese)

Gary Bechard – The Well Fed Cyclist

Ingredients – 

4 oz (weight) – Mushroom blend (Shiitake, Oyster, White, baby bellas) (food processor)

12 oz (weight) – Portobello mushroom caps (food processor)

1/2 – Medium onion, diced

1 – Small red bell pepper, diced

1 – Small green bell pepper, diced

3 – Cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp – Parsley, fresh, chopped 

2 tbsp – Basil, fresh, chopped 

1 tbsp – oregano, fresh, chopped 

3 tsp – Sea Salt, coarse ground, (or to taste)

2 tsp – Black pepper, coarse ground (or to taste)

28 ounces – Tomatoes, Petite (1 can)

28 ounces – Fire roasted tomatoes (1 can)

15 ounces – Tomato sauce (1 can)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a few good swirls around the bottom of the pan just enough to lightly coat the bottom

Construction Instruction – 

Veggies – For the mushrooms I cubed them, put them in a food processor and pulsed about 5 times to have them have the consistency or the appearance of browned ground beef. Place mushrooms in a bowl for addition later.

Peppers and onions – I made sure to leave them a medium dice and not a super fine dice because you do not want them to disappear during the cooking process. 

Herbs – I did a regular chop on them. Or, you could use, and I am not sure every store has them, semi-dried fresh herbs you can find in the refrigerated herb section in the grocery store. They are really good and are great when you are kind of short on time. However, fresh is best.

Cooking – In a large sauce pan (I used a 5 quart enameled cast iron), coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil and bring to temperature. Note: I usually keep the temperature just below medium heat to make sure that I do not burn the oil since olive oil has a low smoke point. When the pan is at temperature, add the garlic and stir slightly to soften the garlic. Make sure that the garlic is not overcooked and does not turn brown. Next add in the peppers and onions  sautéing them until they are soft and the onions turn translucent. Last but not least add the mushroom mixture and mix all the ingredients together until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. I salted and peppered my veggies at this stage and took a little taste to make sure that I had the flavors right.

Next, add the cans of tomatoes and the sauce and mix everything into an even mixture of veggies and sauce. Then add the herbs and stir thoroughly. Lower the heat and simmer for about 2 hours always making sure that you keep the sauce moving so the temperature is even throughout the mixture. You want the diced tomatoes to break down a bit and release their flavor. The sauce will cook down a bit and become thicker the longer you simmer. 

Uses – I used this sauce in a lasagna but because of its robust flavor it would be great with rigatoni or thicker kinds of pasta. Buchatini would be great with this sauce. 

Enjoy!

The Well Fed Cyclist – Gary Bechard