Wood Blewit Spaghetti Bolognese

Over the weekend we ventured out to explore the pine forests of Mount Victoria in Wellington city. I was particularly making a last ditch effort and was hoping to find some late porcini mushrooms or other boletes. There was a thick layer of pine needles on the ground, everywhere smelt of pine sap, and it was lightly raining. Unfortunately after a good couple of hours of mushroom hunting we gave up and wandered to the look out.

I can’t say I particularly enjoyed the view over the city landscape but I did love what I saw when I looked down at the ground beneath me. There were clusters of suede brown, firm mushroom tops peeking through the grass. Upon closer inspection my partner identified them as wood blewits, they had such a beautiful lilac hue!

I chose to cook these wood blewits in a hearty vegan spaghetti bolognese. The mushrooms are meaty and pair wonderfully with this rich tomato sauce. Enjoy my fellow foragers!

Wood Blewit Spaghetti Bolognese

Ingredients: Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely diced

1 medium carrot, finely minced

1 celery stick, finely minced

3 cups wood blewits, finely minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup red wine

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 vegan beef stock cube (Massels)

2 tins tomatoes, blended

1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce (add more salt if needed)

2 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, more to taste)

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons ground fennel

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon oregano

3/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped

3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (more to garnish)

1 packet spaghetti, cooked

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Sauté the onion, carrot, and celery for 5 minutes. Add the wood blewits and garlic and cook off the water for 8 minutes.
2. Add the red wine and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, stock cube, blended tinned tomatoes, brown sugar, soy sauce, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, nutritional yeast, black pepper, fennel, basil, oregano, and walnuts.
3. Simmer the sauce for 20 minutes and stir in parsley. Cook the spaghetti and drain.
4. Serve wood blewit Bolognese sauce over cooked spaghetti and top with chopped parsley. Garlic sourdough bread and a wild foraged salad would be great side dishes for this delicious dinner!

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