Rigatoni with Vegetable Bolognese

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 3  carrots peeled chopped
• 1 ounce porcini mushrooms dried
• 2 teaspoons thyme leaves fresh chopped
• 2  garlic cloves 
• 0.5 cup mascarpone cheese 
• 5 ounces mushrooms assorted stemmed chopped like shiitake, cremini, and brown
• 0.3 cup olive oil 
• 1  onion peeled chopped
• 1 teaspoon oregano leaves fresh chopped
• 0.3 cup parmesan 
• 1  bell pepper red seeded chopped
• 0.5 cup red wine 
• 1 pound rigatoni pasta 
• 2 teaspoons salt 
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste 
• 1.5 cups water hot

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• frying pan
• pot

Directions

1. Watch how to make this recipe.
2. Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with 1 1/2 cups very hot water. Set aside and let the mushrooms soften.
3. Place the carrots, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse the vegetables until finely chopped but still chunky.
4. Place the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Add the chopped vegetables, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Strain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the porcini mushroom liquid.
6. Add the porcini mushrooms, fresh mushrooms, and tomato paste and continue cooking, stirring to dissolve the tomato paste, until the mushrooms are softened, about 5 minutes.
7. Add the porcini mushroom liquid and red wine. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and let the mixture simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
8. Add mascarpone cheese and stir just until the cheese is incorporated.
9. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
10. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.
11. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and add to the vegetable mixture.
12. Add some of the reserved pasta cooking liquid, if necessary, to moisten the sauce. Toss with Parmesan and serve.