Rigatoni with Quick Mushroom Bolognese
A meaty-tasting mushroom Bolognese that's done in about the time it takes to boil pasta. Weeknight hero, vegetarian bonus.
Ingredients
- 1 lbrigatoni
- ¾ tsptable saltplus salt for cooking pasta
- 1 lbcremini mushroomstrimmed and quartered
- 3 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
- 1small onionchopped fine
- 1carrotpeeled and chopped fine
- ¼ cuptomato paste
- 3garlic clovesminced
- ¼ cupdry white wine
- ¼ cupgrated Pecorino Romano cheeseplus extra for serving
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add the rigatoni and 1 tablespoon table salt and cook, stirring now and then, until al dente. Save 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and put it back in the pot.
- Meanwhile, pulse the mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped, about 10 pulses. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high until just smoking. Add the mushrooms, onion, carrot and ¾ teaspoon table salt and cook until the mushrooms look dry and start sticking to the bottom of the skillet, about 14 minutes. Fourteen minutes feels long. It isn't. This is where the flavor comes from, so don't rush to the next step.
- Stir in the tomato paste and garlic and cook until a brown layer forms on the bottom of the skillet, about 1 minute. Stir in the wine, scraping up the browned bits, and cook until it's evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the reserved cooking water and bring to a boil. Add the sauce and ¼ cup pecorino to the pasta and stir to combine. Serve with extra pecorino on top.
Kitchen's closed The sauce freezes perfectly. Double it once and you've bought yourself a future weeknight.