Mushroom Ragu over Polenta
A deep, slow, meatless ragu of mushrooms and tomato, spooned over soft polenta. The cold-weather dinner northern Italy has leaned on for generations.
TENDER · The mushroom is cooked soft, simmered or braised, no crisp.
In the north of Italy, mushrooms and polenta are a marriage older than memory. A ragu built patiently on a soffritto of onion, carrot, and celery gives a plant sauce the body and depth people expect from meat.
Serves four.
- 1 lb Oyster or Lion's Mane mushrooms, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, all finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- Half a cup red wine
- 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 sprig rosemary
- Polenta: 1 cup polenta, 4 cups water or broth, salt, olive oil
- 01
Heat a heavy pot over medium high, dry. Brown the chopped mushrooms hard until they release their water, it cooks off, and they color deeply, about 10 minutes. Add the oil for the last couple of minutes.
- 02
Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, then the tomato paste, and cook 2 minutes.
- 03
Pour in the red wine and let it reduce by half. Add the crushed tomatoes, broth, and rosemary.
- 04
Simmer uncovered, stirring now and then, until thick and glossy, 35 to 40 minutes.
- 05
Meanwhile make the polenta: bring the water to a boil, whisk in the polenta in a slow stream, then cook on low, stirring often, until thick and tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Season with salt and olive oil.
- 06
Spoon the ragu over the soft polenta.
- A scatter of chopped parsley.
- Crusty bread for the bowl.
The ragu is better the next day, once the flavors settle. It also freezes well.
