Cooking Done Light

Traditional bolognese sauce is made of a combination of beef, pork and/or veal. It makes for a very hearty, heavy – and due to all that meat, rather “fatty” sauce – that has become a classic favorite among pasta lovers. This sauce is just as hearty, and it’s sure to please even the most devout meat lovers – without containing any meat!! By chopping the vegetables finely, and using a variety of “meaty” mushrooms, this sauce delivers all the fantastic flavor and texture of a traditional bolognese, only with a greatly reduced calorie count.

This sauce is a bit time consuming to make, but I assure you, it is well worth the effort. You may want to try making it for the first time over the weekend, when you have a little extra time to spare. Don’t get me wrong – you won’t have to spend the whole day in the kitchen – but you might need some prep time for cutting all those veggies. The good news is, this sauce makes for some great leftovers – so if you make it for dinner over the weekend, you can always heat some up and throw it on a whole wheat roll the next day for a veggie “sloppy joe” for lunch!! Don’t you just love meals that pull double-duty!?!

1-ounce dried porcini mushrooms

1 1/2 cups hot water

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

5 ounces assorted mushrooms (shiitake, cremini, button),chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup red wine

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

1 pound whole wheat pasta, (any kind rigatoni, ziti, penne, linguine, angel hair)

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with 1 1/2 cups very hot water. Set aside for at least 5 minutes to let the mushrooms soften.

Place the carrots, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse the vegetables until finely chopped but still chunky. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the chopped vegetables, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook until tender(about 6 minutes or so).

Strain the porcini mushrooms ( but save the liquid that you pour off in a small bowl or cup). Add the porcini mushrooms, fresh mushrooms, and tomato paste and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are softened (about 5 minutes.)

Add the liquid that you saved from the porcini mushrooms and add the red wine. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and let the mixture simmer until the liquid is reduced by half (about 10 minutes).

Add the mascarpone cheese and stir until the cheese is just incorporated.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 2 minutes LESS than the directions call for. Drain the pasta, but save about 1/2 cup of the water that you cooked it in and add that to the vegetable mixture. Then stir in the cooked pasta and top with the parmesan cheese to serve.

Makes 4 (large) servings. Per serving (including pasta): 292 calories, 4g total fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, o g trans fat, 28 g carbohydrates, 11 g fiber, 0 g added sugar, 19 g protein, 83 mg sodium, 6 mg cholesterol.