This vegetarian/vegan riff on Pasta Bolognese from renowned food writer Mark Bittman hails from his new cookbook, “Dinner for Everyone” (Clarkson Potter, $40), which gives 100 classic dishes a trio of treatments. Whether it’s caesar salad, bouillabaise or, in this case, Pasta Bolognese, each iconic dish is reinterpreted to deliver a quick and easy version, a vegan-friendly recipe and a “perfect for company” take.
Here, the finely chopped vegetables of a classic ratatouille become a hearty, flavorful sauce for rigatoni that vegan and vegetarian guests will enjoy every bit as much as omnivores will.
Rigatoni with Ratatouille Bolognese
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Salt
1 pound eggplant, peeled if you like and cut into chunks
1 onion, peeled and cut into chunks
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into chunks
1 zucchini, cut into chunks
1 red or yellow bell pepper, cored and cut into chunks
6 garlic cloves
¼ cup and 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
1 cup tomato paste
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
Pepper
1 pound whole wheat rigatoni or other cut pasta
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Put the eggplant, onion, fennel, zucchini, bell pepper and garlic in a food processor with the ¼ cup oil. Pulse, stopping to scrape down the sides once or twice, until finely chopped but not pureed.
Put the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the vegetables and cook, stirring often, until the onion becomes translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, turn the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste caramelizes, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat so it bubbles gently but steadily. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, then start tasting. When the pasta is tender but still has some bite, scoop out 2 cups cooking water, then drain the pasta.
Immediately add the pasta and a splash of the cooking water to the skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Toss to coat in the sauce, adding a little more reserved pasta water if necessary to create a slightly creamy, but not soupy, sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning; then garnish with the parsley and serve.
Reprinted from Dinner For Everyone. Copyright © 2019 by Mark Bittman. Photographs copyright © 2019 by Aya Brackett. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.
