Sausage bolognese with mushrooms is a super flavorful sausage meat sauce thanks to the perfect blend of herbs and spices and rich umami flavor of the mushrooms. It doesn't require an entire day of cooking and perfect for your weekly meal prep!
8ouncesground meatpork, lamb, turkey, beef, etc. (or prepared Italian Sausage)
½teaspoondried oregano
½teaspoondried basil
½teaspoonground fennel
¼teaspoonsmoked paprika
¼teaspooncayenne powder or red pepper flakes
½teaspoonsalt
½teaspoonpepper
1tablespoontomato paste
1Tablespoonwhite vinegar or apple cider, rice, etc.
28ozcanned tomatoesdiced or crushed, both ok here
½cupbroth or waterlink to my bone broth recipe here
Instructions
Peel the onion and garlic, wash the carrot and mushrooms. Give the carrot and onion a rough chop just so they fit in your food processor.
Process vegetables & mushrooms until finely diced. If you go too long it will start to become a mash, which is not what we’re looking for here, but will still work. Set aside. (You can also do this with a box grater, mandoline, or a knife.)
Add ground meat to a large pot or pan over medium-high heat. I recommend a wide pan with high sides to allow for quickest cooking. Leave undisturbed for about 2-3 minutes to develop a bit of browning on the bottom. (If using leaner meat, be sure to add a tablespoon of olive oil or ghee to the pot first.)
Sprinkle the meat with all of the dried herbs and spices (oregano, basil, ground fennel, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper), and brown the meat on all sides, breaking it up as you go. (Alternatively, you can use 3 teaspoons of my Italian Sausage Seasoning blend.)
Add the tomato paste and stir well; cook for about 30 seconds.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add chopped vegetables and cook for 8-10 minutes, until soft and fragrant. If your pot is tall, not wide, this may take closer to 15 minutes.
Push the meat and vegetables to the side and “deglaze” the pan by adding the vinegar (or white wine) and scraping up the brown bits (aka fond). This is the good stuff!
Add the canned tomato, and ½ cup broth (or water) and stir well.
Bring sauce to a simmer, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. I recommend partially covering it with an offset lid to prevent splattering all over your stove.
Use this in your favorite bolognese-based recipes or simply toss with your favorite pasta and top with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan.
Notes
Further boost the umami notes of this recipe by using even more flavorful mushrooms such as shiitake, king oyster, or wild mushrooms.If you’d like to make this vegetarian, I would double the amount of mushrooms. Be sure to add a source of protein as well, since mushroom bolognese (without the meat) will be very low in protein.To use pre-made Italian sausage with this dish, simply remove the casing from about 2 large (raw) sausages and use it in place of the meat. You can also reduce the herbs & spices by about half, since Italian sausage comes pre-seasoned.