Name: Vegan bolognese
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 30g dried porcini mushrooms; 2 tbsp olive oil; 500g chestnut mushrooms finely diced; 2 onions chopped; 4 cloves garlic crushed; 2 carrots grated; 2 stalks celery finely diced; 1tsp thyme leaves chopped to make 1 tsp; 1tsp rosemary leaves chopped to make 1 tsp; 1 tsp celery salt; 1 star anise; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes; ½ a small bunch basil torn; 400g tagliatelle

Bowl of spaghetti with vegan mushroom bolognese sauce

30g dried porcini mushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil
500g chestnut mushrooms
finely diced
2 onions
chopped
4 cloves garlic
crushed
2 carrots
grated
2 stalks celery
finely diced
1tsp thyme leaves
chopped to make 1 tsp
1tsp rosemary leaves
chopped to make 1 tsp
1 tsp celery salt
1 star anise
2 tbsp tomato purée
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
½ a small bunch basil
torn
400g tagliatelle

Method

step 1
Put the porcini in a bowl and pour over 200ml boiling water. Leave to soak while you start the sauce.
step 2
Heat a large non-stick pan until hot and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the chestnut mushrooms and a pinch of salt, and fry, stirring, until they start to soften and give out liquid. Keep frying until all the moisture has disappeared and the mushrooms have coloured to a dark golden brown. Don’t skimp on this bit as this will ensure you get maximum flavour in the finished sauce. Scoop out the mushrooms then add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery to the same pan with another tbsp of olive oil and stir well. Put on a lid and cook for 10 minutes, stirring now and again, or until the veg has softened. Add the herbs, celery salt, star anise and tomato purée. Drain the porcini mushrooms, keeping the liquid. Chop the porcini well and add to the sauce, along with the strained liquid. Tip the cooked chestnut mushrooms back in.
step 3
Cook, stirring, for a minute then tip in the chopped tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes until the sauce is rich and thick, and stir through the basil just before serving. Cook the tagliatelle following pack instructions, then drain and toss with the sauce before serving.