Since Matt doesn’t eat meat anymore and I eat very little meat I am always looking for filling vegetarian recipes.  This pasta is just that.  It is so hearty and the flavors are so rich and complex.  I didn’t even miss the meat and my kids didn’t even notice there wasn’t meat.   This is such a delicious vegetarian meal.   We all gobbled this up.  I served it with toasted a wheat baguette and it was perfect.   The sauce can most definitely be made ahead of time and reheated if need be.

Enjoy!

|| S P A G H E T T I   W I T H   M U S H R O O M  B O L O G N E S E ||

adapted via Bon Appetit

– 1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms

– 6 tablespoons olive oil

– 1 small white onion diced finely

– 3 carrots peeled and diced

– 1 baby eggplant peeled and diced into small squares

– 8 oz shiitake mushrooms, diced

– 4 garlic cloves minced

– 2 tablespoons tomato paste

– 1 tablespoon white miso

– 1 34 oz box crushed tomatoes

– 1 2 inch chunk Parmesan-Reggiano plus extra grated for serving

– 1 thyme sprig

– 1/2 teaspoon sugar

– 12 oz spaghetti

– 2 tablespoons parsley

In a small bowl cover the porcini mushrooms with 1 cup boiling water, soak until softened about 30 minutes.  Finely chop the mushrooms and discard any tough pieces.  Reserve 1/2 cup the soaking liquid.

In a large pan heat 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Add the onion and carrots and cook over medium heat until light golden, about 8 minutes.  Add the eggplant and 2 tablespoons olive oil and cook stirring occasionally until softened about another 8 minutes.  Stir in the porcini and shiitake mushrooms and 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Cook stirring occasionally about 8-10 minutes.  stir in garlic, tomato paste, miso and cook another 2 minutes.  Add in the chunk of cheese, the crushed tomatoes, the thyme and sugar and reserved mushroom liquid and bring to a simmer.

Cover and cook on low heat until sauce is thick about 1 hour.  Discard the thyme sprig and season with salt and pepper.

In a pot of salted water cook the spaghetti until al dente

Add the pasta and a little paste water to the sauce and toss.  Top with parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.