Mushroom Spaghetti Bolognaise In a Tomato & Spinach Sauce

Mushroom Spaghetti Bolognaise

In a Tomato & Spinach Sauce

Photography by Ctrlaltdelete Design Solutions. Copyright © 2018. All rights reserved 

So Spring is practically looming, in-fact it’s just around the corner, a time when the birds should be chirping, the Sunshine should be gracing us with it’s presence and overall a much more pleasant temperature right? NAHHHHH forget about that because guess what? It’s SNOWING! Yes you heard me right, Mother nature has decided to lay a huge white carpet over the country along with a few blizzards and vast depleting temperatures for a week chucked in for extra measure, and it looks like it’s here to stay for a few more days yet. I was sceptical that my area would even get a smidgen of the white stuff since what with living in a river valley; we tend to miss out (thankfully) but not this time! For the forecasted ‘Beast of the East’ has swept across the UK causing much unwanted disruption.

Above: My Garden! (well and the Hubster's too!)

Anyway, to lighten the mood, it’s Fridaaaayyyy HURRAH! At this point of the week, the fridge is looking, a little bit sparse to say the least; with the exception of a few pieces of veg lying around awaiting to be transformed into something exciting and scrummy; I always have a good supply of store cupboard essentials to hand though so it's all good on that front.

It dawned on me the other week that the one thing that I haven’t made for a good few years now is one of the most classic Italian dishes of all time, that has crept its way into homes; restaurants and bistro’s far and wide, and is certainly an incredibly popular dish here in Britain; Spaghetti Bolognaise!  Traditionally this dish is comprised of minced protein in a beautifully rich tangy Tomato sauce brimming with fresh Italian herbs and served on a bed of Spaghetti Pasta. As always, I like to experiment and come up with my own take on traditional recipe concepts and this is indeed no exception.  Now I may not be in Italy and have a shed load of ingredients left to hand, but I certainly can bring the flavours to the dinner table my style!

Tangy, rich and comforting (perfect for this cold snap), I use a collection of earthy Chestnut Mushrooms, sweet Carrots and subtle Courgette to bring you my Mushroom Spaghetti Bolognaise in a Tomato and Spinach Sauce.

  

What Will I Need?

Medium Saucepan

Food Processor OR Blender

Non-stick Frying Pan

Wooden Spoon

Large Saucepan

Sharp Chopping Knives

Measuring Spoons

Colander

Ingredients

For the Mushroom Mince

200g Chestnut OR Closed Cup Mushrooms OR a mixture of both

2 x Small carrots peeled and roughly chopped

¼ Medium Courgette roughly chopped

1 Medium Red onion Sliced

½ Tbsp. Olive Oil

Splash cold water

½ Tsp. Sea Salt

½ Tsp. fresh Ground Black Pepper

Tomato sauce

1 x 400g Tin Plum Tomatoes in Natural Juice

1 tbsp. tomato Puree

1 x large handful Baby Spinach Leaves

2 Large cloves Garlic

1 Tsp. Smoked Paprika

1 Dairy and Egg Free Vegetable Stock Cube

2 Tbsp. Mixed Italian Seasoning OR half pack Fresh Basil roughly chopped

½ Tomato can fresh water

Whole Wheat Egg-free Spaghetti to serve

Parmesan

2 tbsp. Nutritional yeast

1 tsp. Sesame Seeds

Pinch Sea Salt

Method

For the Mushroom Mince

1. Add all the Mushroom Mince ingredients EXCEPT for the Red Onion blitz for about 10 seconds, you don’t want the vegetables to be cut too fine nor do you want a puree, just a course texture.

         Set to one side.

         Meanwhile…

For the Tomato sauce

1. Rinse out your Food Processor then add all of the Tomato sauce ingredients; blitz until smooth.
2. Bring Tomato and Spinach mixture to the boil then turn down to a simmer until the liquid has reduced by about ¼ (add a little water if it becomes too thick but not too much, it should coat the back of a wooden spoon). Set to one side

Next...

1. Heat the Olive Oil and water in a non-stick frying pan on a medium temperature, then add the Red Onion, Salt and Black Pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, then add the Mushroom Mince and cook until just tender.
2. Add the Tomato Sauce that you prepared earlier to the Mushroom Mince, mix well and simmer until piping hot, adjust the seasoning to taste (you want a nice silky mixture, if it becomes a little too thick, just add a little water).

For the Spaghetti

1. Follow the instructions on the back of the pack, my Whole Wheat Spaghetti takes 12 minutes, you want a slight bite to the Pasta, be careful not to overcook your Pasta as mushy Bolognaise isn’t pleasant at all!
2. Drain the cooked Spaghetti, and then serve onto plates. With a spoon, create a well in the centre of the Spaghetti to then serve the Mushroom mince into (that’s my little TIP! To prevent a messy meal with Tomato Sauce all over the place, works a treat believe me).

Lastly…

To make the “Parmesan”, pop all the ingredients into a food Processor and pulse into a course powder. Sprinkle over the top of the finished dish.

That’s it, enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

Not a Spaghetti lover? Simply swap for your favourite Pasta OR Dairy-free Garlic Bread OR even a Jacket Potato! I also like to serve mine with a little simple Salad and light dressing of Lemon Juice, a little Sea Salt and Freshly ground Black Pepper.