Porcini Mushroom Bolognese
Our rich and hearty Mushroom Bolognese is perfect for a big family dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 ½ cup hot water
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 5 ounces assorted mushrooms (like shiitake, cremini, and brown), stemmed and chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup red wine
- ½ cup mascarpone cheese
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta
- ¼ cup parmesan
Instructions
- Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with 1 ½ cups very hot water. Set aside and let soften.
- Place the carrots, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse the vegetables until finely chopped, but still chunky.
- Place the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper, and cook until tender (6 minutes). Strain the re-hydrated mushrooms, reserving the liquid.
- Add the porcini mushrooms, fresh mushrooms, and tomato paste and continue cooking, stirring to dissolve the paste, until the mushrooms are softened (5 minutes). Add the porcini mushroom liquid and red wine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and let simmer until the liquid is reduced by half (10 minutes). Add mascarpone cheese and stir just until the cheese is incorporated.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite (8 to 10 minutes). Reserving some cooking liquid, drain pasta and add to vegetables mix. Moisten sauce with reserved pasta liquid, if necessary. Toss with Parmesan and serve.