Mushroom Bolognese with Kale

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Mushroom Bolognese with Kale

Published on December 24, 2017 | By |
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A vegetarian pasta dish that stands up to the kind of medium-bodied, earthy, bright red wine that I want to drink this time of year.  This recipe’s superstar ingredient is the magical mushroom, which, when cooked long and slow, with the fixings of a traditional Bolognese sauce, develops a similar richness and umami depth without the porky element.  You won’t notice the kale or the miso, but they both provide a nice earthy savoriness that rounds out the dish.  And the best part – it practically begs for a big glass of red wine, like the bright, earthy and red-fruited 2016 Haarmeyer Syrah, Mokelumne Glen Vineyard – a combination that warms the belly and soul…

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms
  • 1 lb cremini mushrooms, roughly chopped
  • 8 oz shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and roughly chopped
  • 6 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil + more for serving
  • 1 medium yellow onion, cut into wedges
  • 2 cups roughly chopped kale, ribs removed
  • 2 medium carrots, scrubbed and cut into large chunks
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 TBSP tomato paste
  • 1 TBSP white miso (a generous TBSP)
  • One 2-inch chunk of Pecorino or Parmigiano cheese + grated cheese for serving
  • One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed (squeeze by hand)
  • 6 thyme sprigs
  • 1/2 tsp honey
  • 12 ounces pasta (I like a fat noodle like Pici, but Spaghetti or Penne work great)
  • 2 TBSP chopped parsley
  • Sea salt, pepper

Instructions

  • 1. In a small bowl, cover the porcini with 1 cup of boiling water; soak until softened, about 30 minutes. Finely chop the porcini, discarding any tough bits. Pour off and reserve 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid.
  • 2. Throw the onion, carrot and kale into a food processor and chop until finely diced. In a large enameled cast-iron Dutch oven, heat 2 TBSP oil. Add the onion/kale/carrot mixture and cook over moderate heat until light golden, about 8 minutes. Add 2 more TBSP oil and with the cremini, shiitake, chopped porcini and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add 2 TBSP of oil and stir in garlic, tomato paste and miso, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chunk of cheese, tomatoes and their juices, thyme, honey and reserved porcini soaking liquid, and bring to a simmer.
Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is very thick, about 1 hour and a half. Discard the thyme sprigs; season to taste with salt and pepper.

  • 3. In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until barely al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Add the pasta, pasta water and parsley to the sauce; toss to coat and simmer a few minutes. Serve in bowls, topped with grated cheese and a big glug of good oil.
  • 4. Note: The mushroom Bolognese can be refrigerated for 2 days. Simmer to reheat with a few more glugs of oil.
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