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Vegetable Bolognese

Trick the kids into eating their veg ;)
Course Dinner
Cuisine Australian, Italian
Keyword Bolognese, Vegetable Bolognese, Vegetarian, Vegetarian Bolognese
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Calories 1881kcal
Author AnotherFoodBlogger

Ingredients

Bolognese

  • 1 cauliflower
  • 3 carrots
  • 1 red onion
  • 200 g mushrooms
  • 5 g dried morels
  • 250 ml warm water
  • 2 tins tinned tomatoes
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1" piece ginger
  • 2 tsp chili flakes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 400 ml red wine
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 knob butter
  • Crème Fraiche optional

Pesto

  • 60 g basil
  • 80 ml olive oil
  • 15 g pinenuts
  • 20 g parmesan grated
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

Bolognese

  • Place dried morels into warm water and leave soak for a minimum of 30 minutes
  • Chop carrots, cauliflower, mushrooms, rehydrated mushrooms (but not liquid) & onion roughly and then blitz in food processor – do this in stages unless you have a GIANT processor ?
  • In a heavy bottom pot, cook veg, garlic & ginger in butter & oil for 4-5 minutes until softened
  • Add tinned tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon, thyme, wine, chili & mushroom stock and cook for 20 minutes with the lid on and then a further 10-15 minutes with the lid off or until Bolognese sauce has reduced to your liking

Pesto

  • Toast pinenuts in frying pan for a couple minutes until brown
  • Add all ingredients to a mini food processor and blend

Serving

  • Cook pasta according to instructions and once pasta is cooked set aside 100ml of pasta water
  • Meanwhile heat Bolognese in saucepan
  • Drain pasta, add pasta water & Bolognese to pot. Stir to combine
  • Serve with a spoon of crème fraiche & pesto

Notes

Essential Tools

  • large heavy bottom saucepan
  • saucepan
  • measuring utensils
  • wooden spoon
  • food processor
  • chef knives
  • chopping board

Tips/Tricks

  • the longer you leave the morels soak in the water the more intense mushroom stock you will have – plan ahead and leave it soak overnight or that morning before you make the Bolognese
  • the 100ml of pasta water contains plenty of starch so by adding this back into the pasta with the sauce helps it to coat and stick to the pasta #toptip

Nutrition

Calories: 1881kcal | Carbohydrates: 96g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 128g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 986mg | Potassium: 4327mg | Fiber: 27g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 35662IU | Vitamin C: 332mg | Calcium: 669mg | Iron: 12mg