Mushroom Bolognese

Do you ever try something new and you don’t have the highest expectations, but then you’re blown away? That was this mushroom bolognese for me. I wanted to make some sort of pasta sauce, but have been trying not to eat meat and can’t have Beyond Meat on the Whole 30, so I was thinking of vegetables I could use to give a similar texture and a little more substance. I landed on mushrooms and some other veggies and made this sauce. It turned out so good! It’s really one of my new favorite Whole 30 recipes and is absolutely one I’ll make again and again whether I’m doing a Whole 30 or not.

This is actually a really easy recipe, because instead of making a marinara style tomato sauce from scratch, I just enhanced one of my favorite pre-made sauces. I love all the different Rao’s Homemade sauces because most of them are Whole 30 approved and just have a few ingredients in them. I find them at Whole Foods or Kroger! Sometimes I even just throw one of their sauces as is over zoodles or lentil pasta when I’m not doing the Whole 30.

Below is the recipe for this delicious Whole 30 approved vegan/vegetarian mushroom bolognese.

Mushroom Bolognese

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons of minced garlic
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3/4 cup of carrots, peeled and diced
• 3/4 cup of celery, diced
• 1.5 cups of mushrooms, diced
• 1 24 ounce jar of Rao’s Homemade Tomato Basil Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons of coconut aminos
• 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1/2 cup of chopped Italian tomatoes
• 1/4 cup of fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon of thyme leaves
• 1 Tablespoon of chili powder
• 2 teaspoons of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• Salt and Pepper to taste

*Optional: if you’re not doing a Whole 30 and find yourself with an open bottle of red wine while you cook (Pinot Noir works great) I’d add about a cup of that, too.

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Then, add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onion is translucent.
2. Next, add the mushrooms and cook through.
3. Add thyme, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and coconut aminos. Stir until well combined.
4. Add Rao’s sauce, tomato paste, and tomatoes. Stir until well combined and continue to cook on medium-high for two to three minutes. *Add wine here if you so desire.
5. Cover pan and reduce to a simmer. Cook for at least thirty minutes, stirring every few. You can cook longer if you want, also.
6. While the sauce is simmering, spiralize your zucchinis or if you’re like me and prefer to buy containers of already cut zoodles, add those to bowls. Cover with mushroom bolognese when finished cooking and enjoy!

I’ve been loving the feedback I’ve gotten from some of you on making my recipes. If you make any and have feedback, please share! It’s so fun to hear you all making them and loving them as much as I do.

I have just 10 days left of my Whole 30 and am looking forward to swapping my zoodles out for pasta, but am feeling SO good. My workouts are better, my skin is so clear and hydrated, I am not bloated, I’m sleeping better, and I have so much more consistent energy throughout the day. I’m thinking I’m going to keep Whole 30 eating going during the week at home, but will add back in honey/agave, lentils, and probably wine.

I hope that all of your weeks get off to a great start! Thanks for stopping by to spend some of it with me. XO