Laura Smith
Adding fresh mushrooms to Prego spaghetti sauce is a great way to elevate your pasta dish. This simple addition brings a hearty, savoury flavour to the sauce, creating a delicious and satisfying meal. With just a few extra ingredients and easy preparation methods, you can transform your spaghetti into a gourmet-quality dish. Whether you're a mushroom lover or a sceptic, this versatile recipe is a great way to add a meatless option to your dinner rotation or customise it with additional ingredients like ground beef. So, get ready to impress your taste buds and your guests with this flavourful and budget-friendly meal!
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Mushroom | White button, crimini, or white mushrooms |
| Other Ingredients | Olive oil, canned tomatoes, anchovy paste, onion, garlic, thyme, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, sugar, balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese, fresh herbs |
| Preparation | Slice mushrooms, chop onion, and mince garlic. Heat oil in a pan, add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes. |
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Sauté the mushrooms
Sautéing mushrooms is a quick and easy process that can add a lot of flavour to your spaghetti sauce. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you get perfect results:
First, prepare your mushrooms by cleaning them and slicing them into even pieces. White button or crimini mushrooms are good options for spaghetti sauce, as they have a mild flavour that won't overpower the other ingredients.
Next, heat some olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Extra virgin olive oil will add a fruity flavour to your mushrooms, but any type of olive oil will work. You could also use butter for a richer flavour. Once your pan is hot, add the mushrooms. It's important not to overcrowd the pan, so cook the mushrooms in batches if necessary.
Let the mushrooms cook without stirring for a couple of minutes. This will allow them to develop a golden crust. Then, give them a stir and continue cooking for another minute or two. At this point, you can season the mushrooms with salt and pepper. You could also add other seasonings like Italian seasoning or red pepper flakes if you want to give your sauce a spicy kick.
Continue cooking the mushrooms until they are tender and golden brown. This should only take about 5 minutes in total. Then, remove them from the heat and set them aside while you prepare the rest of your sauce.
By sautéing the mushrooms, you've given them a chance to develop a deep, savoury flavour that will enhance your spaghetti sauce. The browning process, known as the Maillard reaction, creates hundreds of new flavour compounds, adding complexity and depth to your dish.
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Add the sauce
Now that you have prepped your veggies, it's time to add the sauce.
First, add the crushed tomatoes to the pot. If you are using whole canned tomatoes, crush them into smaller pieces with your hands. It's messy, but it's the easiest way to get the job done. Next, add the thyme and anchovy paste to the pot. Anchovy paste adds a rich savoury flavour to the sauce without tasting fishy. You won't taste it, but the sauce will seem lacking without it. If you don't have anchovy paste, you can use more salt.
Add half a cup of water and bring the sauce to a boil. Then, cover the pot and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Allow the sauce to cook until it has thickened and the onions are soft. This should take about 30 minutes. If you are adding meat to your sauce, you can do so now. Add a pound of ground beef to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is browned.
Once the sauce has thickened, season with two teaspoons of salt. Stir and taste. You can add more salt if you think it needs it. If you like your sauce spicy, add some red pepper flakes. You can also add some sugar to the sauce if the tomatoes are on the sour side.
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Simmer the sauce
Once you've sautéed the mushrooms, garlic, and onions, it's time to start simmering the sauce. This is when you'll add the tomatoes and any additional ingredients, like thyme, anchovy paste, or sugar, to the pot. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover the pot and let it cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the onions are soft.
The key to a perfect tomato-based mushroom sauce is in the simmering. This step allows the flavours to meld and develop, creating a rich and hearty sauce. It's important to maintain a gentle simmer, ensuring the sauce doesn't boil too vigorously, which can cause it to reduce too quickly or even burn. Stir the sauce frequently to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking.
While the sauce simmers, you can prepare the pasta. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and add your spaghetti. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until it's al dente, with a slight bite to it. Remember not to overcook the pasta, as it will continue to cook a little once it's added to the sauce.
Taste the sauce occasionally as it simmers to check for seasoning. Add salt and pepper to your preference, keeping in mind that you can always add more but can't take it out, so season gradually. If you're using anchovy paste, this will add a savoury depth of flavour, so consider adding it in increments and tasting as you go.
The simmering process is also when you can adjust the consistency of your sauce. If it becomes too thick, you can thin it out by adding a ladle or two of the starchy pasta cooking water. Conversely, if it's too thin, you can continue simmering it uncovered to reduce and thicken the sauce.
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Cook the pasta
To cook the pasta, start by bringing a large pot of water to a rolling boil. How much water you use depends on how much pasta you're cooking. A good rule of thumb is to use 4 litres of water for every 250g of pasta. Once the water is boiling, add a generous amount of salt. This will flavour the pasta and also increase the boiling temperature of the water, helping to cook the pasta more effectively. As a general rule, you should add around 1 tablespoon of salt for every 4 litres of water.
Next, carefully add the pasta to the boiling water. Use a large spoon to gently stir the pasta for a few seconds after adding it to the pot. This will prevent the pasta from sticking together. Stir the pasta occasionally as it cooks. Check the pasta package for the recommended cooking time. When the timer goes off, take a piece of pasta out of the pot and taste it to see if it's done to your liking. If not, let it cook for a little longer.
When the pasta is cooked, drain it into a colander in the sink. Give the colander a few sharp shakes to remove excess water. If you're not serving the pasta immediately, toss it with a small amount of olive oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together. You can also add a pat of butter for extra flavour.
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Mix and serve
Once you've cooked the mushrooms, it's time to mix and serve. If you're making a one-pot dish, add the sauce, water, and spaghetti to the pot and heat to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it cook until the spaghetti is al dente.
If you're cooking the pasta separately, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package instructions. Then, remove the pasta from the cooking water with tongs and add it to the sauce.
Toss the pasta and sauce together. If the mixture seems too dry or thick, add a ladle or two of the pasta water. Taste the dish and add more salt if necessary.
Serve the spaghetti in bowls with grated parmesan and chopped fresh oregano or basil. If you're making a meat sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and additional parsley.
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Frequently asked questions
White button or crimini mushrooms are recommended for their mild flavour. However, any type of cooking mushroom will work.
Slice or dice the mushrooms and sauté them in olive oil with Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper until they are soft and tender.
You will need spaghetti, tomatoes, thyme, anchovy paste, garlic, salt, and parmesan cheese. You can also add onion, ground beef, and balsamic vinegar.
The total time to make this dish is around 30 minutes.
