Jenie’s Super Simple, Savory Vegetarian Spaghetti Sauce (for Retired Carnivores)

This is the adapted version of my original marinara/meat version.  It’s for people who want a meaty sauce but who don’t find tofu or fake ground beef a palatable option.  I swear to you, you will never eat spaghetti sauce from a can or jar again.  This is WAY more delicious, healthier, and you can generally do it while the water for your pasta heats to a boil and your pasta cooks, if you’re using dry pasta.  If you prefer fresh pasta, you might want to get a jump on the sauce, first!

Regarding the spices in this, one girl’s tarragon is another’s licorice-like hall of horrors.  I love the stuff, but my friend Jon feels a little goes a long, long way.  So if you don’t like tarragon, leave it out.  I don’t like the bitter, medicinal taste of oregano, so I rarely use it, but some people feel it isn’t Italian food if it doesn’t have oregano in it.  If you like oregano, toss about 1/2 a teaspoon in.  Except for sage, the spices marked optional in this recipe are the ones I toss in if I feel like it, or if something else is missing.  For instance, if I’m out of or short on marjoram, I make sure to toss in basil and use a little extra.  I always use sage, but if you don’t like it, it’s okay to leave it out.  You don’t have to use all the herbs in the recipe to get a good sauce out of the deal.  But I have found that the herbs I use routinely produce a great, full-bodied sauce with a well-rounded range of flavors.

Things you might need:
A small mortar and pestle

Ingredients:
1 small head of cauliflower or half of a largish one, chopped
1 largish brocolli crown, chopped
2 large portobella mushroom caps, chopped
1 large, 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce (either plain or seasoned with basil)
salt
sugar (optional)
1 heaping teaspoon dried tarragon
1 heaping teaspoon dried marjoram
1 heaping teaspoon dried chervil
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage, if you have that instead) (optional)
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried savory
1 teaspoon dried basil (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)
2 medium (2″ long) dried bay leaves  (or 3 smaller ones or 1 big one)
1 – 2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed (I favor pressing, frankly) (optional)
extra virgin olive oil

To make:
1.  Pour a few tablespoons of olive oil into a pre-heated dutch oven-style pot over medium heat.  Press the garlic into it and stir well, so the garlic bits break up and don’t clump together.

2.  When the garlic starts to brown, throw in the chopped cauliflower.  Turn the heat up to medium-high and saute until the cauliflower is a golden-green color, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

3.  Add the chopped portobello mushrooms and a pinch of salt.  How much is up to you, but I usually toss in about a teaspoon. Stir.  Saute the mushroom/cauliflower mix, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms turn a uniform reddish-brown color, about 5-10 minutes.

4.  Add the canned tomatoes to the pot.  If you like your broccoli well-cooked, add it now.  I don’t, so I add it in the last 5 minutes of cooking.

5.  Toss in a small pinch of sugar to cut the acidity in the tomatoes.  This step is totally optional, and it’s just a tiny bit, maybe an 1/8 teaspoon.  Not enough to sweeten it.  Unless you like sweet sauce, in which case, I guess you could toss in more, but the thyme will sweeten the sauce quite a bit, so don’t go nuts if you’re using thyme.

6.  Add the whole bay leaves to the sauce.

7.  Crush the rest of the spices in the ingredients list in a mortar and pestle*, stirring them into the sauce as you go.

8.  When all the spices you want to use have been added to the sauce, give everything one more big stir so it’s all mixed up nicely together.  Bring to a bubble, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Beyond 20 minutes, dried herbs start to lose flavor, so try not to let it simmer much longer than that.

9. If you prefer your broccoli more crisp than wilted, stir it into the pot for the last 5 minutes of cooking and turn the heat up to medium.

Your pasta ought to be done by now, so ladle the sauce over the noodles of your choice, grate some parmesan over it or sprinkle some on, and enjoy!  Finally, according to my friend Noelle, tradition declares that the person who finds a bay leaf in his or her plate gets out of doing the dishes.  Good luck!

Serves 3 – 4

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