Mushroom Sugo with Rotini

 If you have not already visited Elise's blog Simply Recipes, you should. She has a huge repertoire of recipes and she does a fantastic job of describing them, well, in a word, simply. Not only does the blog update nearly every day, but she has introduced me to so many new things when I thought that I had heard it all. This Mushroom stew is a perfect case in point.

Made similarly to Bolognese meat sauce without the milk or cream, it is a slow simmered creation that allows the porcini mushrooms to shine. Since it only calls for 1 oz of dried porcini, this is really an economical meal while tasting luxuriously gourmet. Just my style!

Although I followed this recipe almost to the letter, I did make a slight change. Dried or powered bouillon cubes are just never in my pantry so I tossed in some kombu (seaweed I use for cooking dried beans) since it adds that umami flavor that beef adds. Worked like a charm!
 
Mushroom Sugo with Rotini (from Simply Recipes)

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, minced
1 carrot, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
1/4 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
1/4 cup dry red wine
8 oz tomato sauce
1 two inch piece of kombu
1 bay leaf
Freshly ground black pepper

Soak dried mushrooms in 2 cups of hot tap water. Strain and reserve liquid and minced mushrooms. Over medium heat saute onions in olive oil until soft. Turn heat down to low and cook gently for 30 minutes until onions turn golden but do not brown. Add carrots and turn heat up to medium high and cook 3-4 minutes. Add celery and cook 3-4 minutes until soft. Add red wine and turn heat up to high, stirring in vegetables and cooking until liquid is absorbed. Add mushrooms, garlic, herbs, tomato sauce, bay leaf, kombu and soaking liquid and bring to boil. Cover and reduce to simmer and cook 1 1/2 - 2 hours, stirring occasionally to keep stew from sticking to pan. Serve over pasta or polenta.

Hugs!

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