Pasta with “Fake” Sauce

By Rose HattabaughOctober 4, 2024

Makes
4 to 6 servings
Cook Time
1 hour
Rating
5

In Italy, we learned about Tuscan sugo finto, or “fake sauce,” so called because the vegetables—onion, carrot and celery—are minced, then gently cooked in fat to the point where they resemble, in both appearance and texture, bits of long-simmered meat in a tomatoey sauce. The mixture of slowly sautéed aromatic veggies is called soffritto, and it forms the flavor foundation of many Italian soups, stews, braises and sauces. “Fake sauce” traditionally is tossed with pici, a thick, hand-rolled spaghetti-like noodle with a dumpling-like quality, resulting in a rich and satisfying but meat-free dish that’s requires only a small handful of very basic ingredients. We also include a portobello mushroom in our mix of vegetables; it supplies a meaty, savory taste and texture that balances the sweetness of the onion, carrot and tomato. We keep the knifework to a minimum by using the large holes of a box grater to prep the vegetables. Salted at the outset and cooked over medium-low in a covered saucepan, the vegetables readily soften and release their essence because shredding has broken down their cell structure. Bucatini or spaghetti are our favorite pasta shapes to match with the sauce, but just about any shape works well.

Tip

Don’t forget to remove the gills from the underside of the portobello mushroom cap; this prevents the sauce from turning murky brown. The gills are easily scraped off with a spoon. Also, be sure to strip away the celery strings with a vegetable peeler so the stalk is easier to shred on the box grater.

Ingredients

1
medium yellow onion, halved lengthwise (root end intact) and peeled
1
medium carrot, peeled
1
medium portobello mushroom, stemmed, gills scraped with a spoon and discarded
1
large celery stalk, strings peeled with a vegetable peeler
¼
cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1
pound bucatini or spaghetti
¼
cup dry white wine
6
ounce can tomato paste (⅓ cup)

Step 1

On the large holes of a box grater, grate each onion half, holding each piece by the root end; discard the ends. Then shred the carrot, mushroom and celery. In a large saucepan over medium, combine the oil, grated vegetables and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until gently sizzling, then reduce to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until meltingly tender and any moisture released has cooked off but the vegetables have not browned, about 20 minutes.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a large pot, boil 4 quarts water. Stir in the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve about 1½ cups of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

Step 3

When the vegetables are done, add the wine and cook over medium, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until almost completely evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and ½ teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring, until the mixture starts to brown and stick to the bottom of the pan, 3 to 5 minutes.

Step 4

Stir 1 cup of the reserved pasta water into the sauce mixture, then add the sauce to the pasta in the pot. Cook over medium, tossing with tongs, until the sauce coats the noodles, about 3 minutes, adding more pasta water 1 tablespoon at time as needed if the mixture is dry. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve drizzled with additional oil.

Step 5