Fast and Easy Bolognese

In Italian households, pasta is considered a weekly staple, especially as a Sunday supper. As a matter of fact, while watching my favorite cooking show, Christina Cooks the Macroterranean Way on PBS, she echoed that very same sentiment, “Sunday is Pasta Day”. Since there is an abundance of pastas on the market, why not enhance the flavor with different sauces, especially suited for the type of pasta being prepared. It’s impossible to know just how many types of pasta sauces there are, i.e., alfredo, marinara, arrabbiata, puttanesca, ragu, cacio e pepe, and carbonara just to mention a few. I actually counted 28 varieties of sauces on one website. (Did I mention that I’m retired with lots of time on my hands.)

Bolognese is a classic pasta sauce originating from Bologna, Italy during the 18th century. The earliest documented recipe for a Bolognese, comes from Alberto Alvisi, cook for the local Cardinal, Barnaba Chiaramonti, aka, Pope Pius VII. While researching information on the internet, the variations depended on the type of protein added to the sauce. (Proteins being beef, pork, veal, and perhaps, ground turkey. Plant-based options were not mentioned. Shocker!) Ingredients include a characteristic soffritto of onion, celery and carrot.

One may ask, “What’s the difference between a Bolognese and a ragu? “A ragu is typically made with ground beef, pork, and/or veal, while Bolognese is made with ground pork and beef. Of course, this applies to carnivores. A ragu has a more subtle flavor than Bolognese, and a chunkier texture due to its shorter cooking time. Bolognese is more complex in flavor and smooth in texture since it has a longer cooking time and additional ingredients,” according to the website Pulptastic.

Fettuccine, pappardelle, or tagliatelle serve as the perfect vessel for this hardy, heavy sauce filled with vegetables and meat. Whether choosing to add a meat substitute, ground turkey, or beef, this recipe is easily adaptable.

The fact that pasta is so versatile and usually cooks up in less than 20 minutes, a Bolognese makes it a great main dish option any day of the week. Having a variety of sauces and pastas on hand will ensure there’s something delicious to eat, even on the busiest of nights. Enjoy…

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) vegan butter, Earth Balance or Miyoko’s

2 yellow onions, chopped

6 carrots, chopped

8 oz. cremini mushrooms, chopped

12 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

2-pkgs. Impossible Meat

1 cup dry white wine

1 28-oz. can tomato puree

1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes

12 fresh basil leaves

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 Tbsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Directions

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened, 7-8 minutes.

Add Impossible Meat (beef substitute) stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned about 4-5 minutes.

Add white wine and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil and cook until liquid reduces by half, 6-8 minutes. Continue to stir to prevent “meat” and veggies from sticking to the bottom of the pan. If necessary, add 1-2 Tbsp. water.

Add tomato puree, whole tomatoes, and their juices, basil, bay leaves, salt, and crushed red pepper, breaking up tomatoes with a spoon. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 60-90 minutes.

Sauce can be stored in air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.