Mushroom ragu with creamy polenta
A slow-simmered, deeply savory mushroom and white bean ragu spooned over soft, cheesy polenta, the coziest bowl there is.
- 60 min total
- 35 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $3.82 a serving
- 600 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1½ lb baby bella mushrooms
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 2 tbsp butter
- ¾ cup grated parmesan, divided
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2¼ tsp salt, divided
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 cups water
Each serving has about 600 calories, 23 g protein, 81 g carbs and 23 g fat, and costs about $3.82 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No baby bella mushrooms? White mushrooms work.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No crushed tomatoes? Diced tomatoes work.
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the mushrooms into pieces about the size of peas.
Finely chop. Finely chopping means cutting food into small pieces, a little bigger than minced, about the size of a lentil. Small pieces spread their flavor through the dish and cook quickly.
How you’ll know: Nothing is bigger than a lentil, and the pile looks like confetti rather than paste.
Dolly’s tip: Small pieces make a ragu that eats like a meat sauce. Work in handfuls.Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring now and then, until their liquid cooks off and they , 10 to 12 minutes.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Medium-high heatTimer: 11 min
Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and thyme for 1 minute.
Medium heatTimer: 6 min
Pour in the broth and . Add the tomatoes, beans and pepper, then over medium-low, , for 20 minutes.
Scrape up the browned bits. It means loosening the brown bits stuck to the pan with a wooden spoon, usually right after adding liquid. Those bits are concentrated flavor, and they melt into the sauce.
How you’ll know: The bottom of the pan looks clean again, and the liquid turns darker and richer.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Lid ajar. Lid ajar means resting the lid on the pot slightly off-center, leaving a small gap. Some steam escapes, so the sauce thickens and doesn’t boil over, while most of the heat stays in.
How you’ll know: A thin wisp of steam drifts out of the gap, and the pot bubbles gently without spilling.
Medium heatTimer: 20 min
Meanwhile, bring the water and 1 teaspoon salt in a . Pour in the cornmeal in a slow stream, the whole time.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
High heat
Dolly’s tip: Pour slowly and keep whisking. That’s the whole secret to lump-free polenta.Turn the heat to low and cook, every few minutes, until thick and creamy, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the butter and ½ cup parmesan.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Low heatTimer: 22 min
Taste the ragu and add the last ¼ teaspoon salt if it needs it. Spoon the polenta into bowls, top with ragu and the rest of the parmesan.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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