Vegetarian Spaghetti for Meat Lovers

This spaghetti sauce doesn’t have any meat in it. In fact it’s vegan. But I have served it to many a carnivore and never had any complaints. The hearty flavors from the mushrooms and wine make it seem meatier. If you aren’t a meat eater, consider it just a really good veggie sauce.

Ingredients:

1 Tbs olive oil

12-15 medium crimini or button mushrooms, stems removed, halved and then sliced (about 3 cups)

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

2 medium zucchinis, diced

1 medium broccoli crown, cut into bite sized florets

3 Tbs Italian seasoning

1 cup of red wine

2 cans diced tomatoes

2 cans tomato sauce

1 can tomato paste

1 tsp pepper

1 pound dried pasta

Directions:

In a large soup kettle, heat olive oil over medium heat. When it looks shimmery, add mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms are browned. About 5- 7 minutes.

Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the veggies and the Italian seasoning. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in the wine, scraping the browned goodness off of the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce until it’s almost completely absorbed by the vegetables.

Stir in the tomatoes, sauce, paste and pepper. Bring to a boil and then cover with the lid ajar and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Serve sauce over hot pasta.