Dinner DeeAs recipe: Fall Vegetable Bolognese

Meat-Free Bolognese Recipe | Dinner DeeAs

Craving a hearty, satisfying pasta but want to skip the meat? This dish is bursting with flavor and texture, providing an amazing vegetarian alternative to the classic Italian ragu.

Craving a hearty, satisfying pasta but want to skip the meat? Chef Nelly Buleje from the Michelin-recommended Timpano Hyde Park joins us to share his recipe for the ultimate Fall Vegetable Bolognese. This dish is bursting with flavor and texture, providing an amazing meat-free or vegetarian alternative to the classic Italian ragu.

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Fall Vegetable Bolognese with Rigatoni and Ricotta Cheese

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• ¼ cup olive oil blend
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 large stalks celery, finely chopped
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, very finely chopped with the stems
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary or basil
• 1 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1½ cups dry white wine
• 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed by hand
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• ½ cup french lentils
• 12 oz butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½ inch dice
• 1 pound rigatoni
• ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan
• ¼ cup ricotta cheese
• oil, for sauteing squash

Directions

1. In medium size pot or Dutch Oven, melt butter in oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion and celery and season with salt and pepper.
3. Cook, stirring, until softened and just starting to brown, 3–5 minutes.
4. Add cremini mushrooms, garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano, bay leaves and crushed red pepper.
5. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
6. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until mushrooms release liquid and are nicely browned, 10–12 minutes.
7. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until mixture is well coated and color deepens, 3–5 minutes.
8. Stir in wine and cook, scraping up any bits from bottom of Dutch oven until wine is reduced, about 1 minute.
9. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally until thickened.
10. Stir in broth and lentils and cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender but not falling apart, about 30 minutes.
11. Season bolognese with salt and pepper.
12. In sauté pan on medium to high heat, add oil and butternut squash.
13. Season with salt and pepper.
14. Sauté until squash begins to brown, 5–8 minutes.
15. Then add cooked squash to Bolognese and stir on low heat for 5 minutes.
16. Fill pot with water and bring to boil over high heat, then add small handful of salt.
17. Cook rigatoni until al dente.
18. Scoop out and reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain pasta in colander.
19. Add drained pasta, bolognese, ½ cup reserved cooking water and parmesan to Dutch Oven.
20. Cook over medium heat, tossing, until pasta is coated in sauce, 2–3 minutes.
21. Transfer pasta to plates adding spoonful of fresh ricotta cheese and grate more Parmesan cheese over top.

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