This vegan recipe is a wonderful alternative to classic beef bourguignon (and is fast, too). Dried porcinis are soaked to create a flavorful, earthy broth. Next, meaty mushrooms are browned to perfection, then added to a rich wine sauce along with carrots and the star of the show, cannellini beans, which soak up all the flavors as they simmer and naturally thicken the sauce so you can skip the usual flour. Served over herbed pasta, this dish is ideal for chilly nights when you crave a satisfying and cozy stick-to-your-ribs stew.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 45 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 small carrots (about 5 ounces), sliced 1/8 inch thick
- 1 medium onion (about 10 ounces), chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cups vegan dry red wine, such as cabernet sauvignon
- 8 ounces frozen pearl onions (about 2 cups)
- Two 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped, plus more for garnish, optional
- 12 ounces cavatappi pasta
Instructions
- Place the porcini mushrooms in a medium heat-safe bowl. Pour the boiling water over top and let the porcini soak until the liquid is a very dark brown, about 20 minutes. Strain the liquid into a small liquid measuring cup (you should have about 3/4 cup), then chop the porcini and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the cremini mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of black pepper and stir so the cremini are in an even layer. Let the cremini cook, untouched, until starting to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Stir the cremini a few times and then continue to cook, untouched, until golden brown, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon and return the pot to the burner.
- Add another 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to the pot along with the carrots, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, thyme, oregano, garlic and reserved porcini and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste is toasted and turns a deep maroon color, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in the wine, bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Fold in the pearl onions, cannellini, cremini, reserved porcini water, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and the mushrooms are very soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Fold in 1/2 cup of the parsley.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain the pasta and add it back to the pot. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 cup parsley, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Serve the beans bourguignon on top of the herbed pasta and garnish with more parsley if desired.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 606 |
| Total Fat | 13 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 94 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 13 g |
| Sugar | 9 g |
| Protein | 22 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 1246 mg |
Reviews
This is ok. It didn’t really cook down as much as I expected and I ended up simmering it well past the 10 minutes in the second to last step (in fact the Pearl onions were still crunchy). It was a little bland and quite salty, when cooked as directed. It also took a long time from chopping to finished meal. The vegetable Bolognese rigatoni is far better from Food Network.