Mirepoix Marinara
Mirepoix is a French culinary term for three basic vegetables (carrots, celery, and onions) that are chopped or diced and then used as the base to create sauces and soups/stocks. (The Spanish version is sofrito–it includes onion, garlic, and red pepper.) In this case, I added mushrooms, red pepper, tomato sauce and herbs to create a chunky marinara sauce. You could make the sauce “saucier” by increasing the amount of tomato sauce or adding chicken broth, or you could serve this chunky marinara as a dip for hearty bread or as a warm salsa alongside chicken or fish. If you like your sauces to have a bit of a kick, feel free to add a splash of deep red wine (such as Port) instead of balsamic vinegar. (Note: Assuming that you don’t add the chicken broth and you use egg-less noodles, this would make a nice dish to serve your vegan friends/family over the holidays.)
Mirepoix Marinara
(recipe makes enough for 4 medium-sized servings)
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 large or 2 small onions, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
3-4 cloves of garlic, diced
1 cup tomato sauce OR 4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
Handful of fresh basil, finely chopped OR 1 tsp. dried basil
Sprinkling of sea salt
Dash of crushed red pepper
Splash of balsamic vinegar (about 1 T.), depending on your taste
Your choice of pasta (try a whole-wheat/whole-grain variety, preferably with flaxseed–not only is that a healthier choice, it has more flavor), enough to serve 4 people
Get the pasta water boiling while you chop the vegetables, then add the pasta to the boiling water when you begin to cook the sauce.
Sauteé mirepoix ingredients in a tablespoon of olive oil for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms and garlic and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. (By now, you’ll probably be able to drain the cooked pasta.) Reduce heat to low and add tomato sauce/chopped tomatoes and basil. Stir in salt, pepper, and vinegar and continue to cook for another 5 minutes to give the flavors a chance to marry. At this point, you can either add the drained noodles to the sauce and mix it all together, or you can top the pasta with the sauce.
Garnishing options: shaved Parmesan, whole black olives, and/or a sprig of fresh basil. (If you’re keeping it vegan, don’t add the cheese!)
Enjoy!
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Tags: carrot, celery, french, italian, marinara, mirepoix, onion
