Best Recipe You've Never Heard of: “Fake” Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 large Onion (peeled and grated; stop short of paper‑thin shreds to avoid hand injury)
• 1 large (about 8 oz) Portobello Mushroom (gills removed, grated then coarsely chopped)
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil (extra‑virgin recommended)
• 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt (fine kosher salt; 1 tsp for sauté, 1 tsp for pasta water)
• 1/4 cup Dry White Wine (use a wine you would drink; adds acidity and depth)
• 6 oz Tomato Paste (canned, 170 g; adds color and concentrated tomato flavor)
• 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper (freshly ground)
• 1 pound Rigatoni Pasta (dried; any short pasta works)
• 1 cup Water (for adjusting sauce consistency)
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil (for finishing drizzle) (extra‑virgin, added at the end for flavor and shine)

Instructions

1. Grate the vegetables

   Using a box grater, grate the onion and the portobello mushroom. Stop short of paper‑thin shreds to keep the texture manageable and protect your fingers.

   Time: PT5M

2. Sauté the grated onion and mushroom

   Add 1/4 cup olive oil and 1 tsp kosher salt to the pan over medium‑high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the grated vegetables, stir, and let them sizzle. Reduce heat to medium‑low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is reduced and caramelized, about 20 minutes.

   Time: PT20M

   Temperature: Medium‑low

3. Deglaze with wine

   Pour in 1/4 cup dry white wine, stirring to loosen any browned bits. Cook, uncovered, until the wine has reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: Medium

4. Add tomato paste and season

   Stir in the 6‑oz can of tomato paste and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Continue cooking, stirring, until the paste begins to brown slightly on the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes. This deepens the flavor and gives the sauce a meaty color.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: Medium

5. Cook the pasta and reserve water

   While the sauce is finishing, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 1 pound rigatoni and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the starchy cooking water, then drain the pasta (no need to rinse).

   Time: PT10M

   Temperature: Boiling

6. Combine pasta and sauce

   Add the drained pasta directly into the sauce pan. Pour in 1 cup of water (or a mix of reserved pasta water and plain water) and toss over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, allowing the pasta to absorb the sauce and finish cooking. Finish with a drizzle of 1 tbsp extra‑virgin olive oil for shine and flavor.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: Medium

Nutrition Facts

Calories

350

Protein

12 g

Carbohydrates

60 g

Fat

8 g

Fiber

5 g