By Chef Linda
Ragú alla bolognese or bolognese sauce, a slow-cooked Italian meat sauce, which originated in Bologna, Italy, was traditionally made with minced veal, beef, and pork. Most original recipes also call for milk, which helped to tenderize the meat and lend a creamy, mellow finish to the dish. On this side of the ocean, order pasta with Bolognese sauce and you’ll likely get tomato sauce with ground beef.
As with many recipes, there are different approaches, all claiming to be the real thing; authenticity is in the belly of the beholder, I suppose. Perhaps if compassion were the original ingredient, the chef in Italy who dreamed up this thick, rich sauce would have made it with tender lentils, meaty walnuts, and delicate pine nuts, and that would be considered authentic bolognese. The absence of herbs like basil and oregano, which are often found in tomato sauce, is another nod to the fact that bolognese sauce is not tomato sauce. This recipe recommends you make a quick cashew milk; its texture and gentle sweetness cannot be compared to store-bought nut milk, but do feel free to buy it if you must; milk is essential to the traditional orange color and creamy end result.
Bolognese sauce is often served on tagliatelle, a wide flat egg-based pasta. Here, it’s served on creamy polenta, which makes this dish the ultimate in comfort food. Instant polenta, found in most stores today, is quicker to cook than pasta. To add texture, color, and brightness to this dish, it’s topped with hearty greens simply sautéed with garlic in a little olive oil. I think it’s the perfect addition to the perfect dish.
Bolognese Sauce with Polenta and Greens
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 large carrots, finely chopped
- 3 large celery stalks, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cup cooked brown or green lentils
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1 tsp salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup vegan dry white wine (like a Chardonnay)
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup cashew milk
For the Polenta
- 6 cup water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cup instant polenta
For the Greens
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch hearty greens (like collards, kale or chard), chopped and rinsed
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Juice from half a lemon
- Salt
For the Cashew Milk
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 3 cup water
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- In heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook until the vegetables are translucent and soft but not browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add lentils, walnuts, pine nuts, salt, and pepper. Cook for a few minutes, then add tomato paste, wine, and vegetable broth. Simmer, while stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes. While sauce is simmering, make cashew milk by placing ingredients in a blender and pureeing for a minute or two, until thoroughly blended and smooth. Add one cup of cashew milk to sauce and cook while stirring for another 5 minutes. Reserve the remaining cashew milk for adding to soups, cereal, or in recipes for baked goods; it will keep for about 5 days. To make greens, heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add greens, garlic and a sprinkle of salt. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until greens have wilted but are still bright green. Squeeze a lemon over greens and toss. Make polenta by bringing water to a boil in a large pot over medium heat. When water begins to boil, add olive oil, nutritional yeast, and salt. Reduce heat to low. Gradually pour in polenta while whisking, and continue to whisk until polenta has thickened and is soft and creamy. Remove from heat. To serve, scoop polenta into a bowl, add a hearty spoonful of Bolognese sauce, and top with greens.
