Tomato Sauce with Lion’s Mane Mushrooms
Denise Landis is the founder & CEO of The Cook's Cook.
Lion’s Mane mushrooms, also known as Pom Poms, look like large fuzzy irregularly-shaped balls. They have a meaty texture, and add a nice earthy flavor to tomato sauce. They can be simply chopped and added to sauce, but taking the time to brown them first will impart a sweeter and richer flavor.
In this recipe we like to use passata, which is an uncooked tomato sauce often sold in glass bottles. Passata, common in Europe, is increasingly available in American supermarkets, but canned tomato sauce will also work well.
Ingredients
- 30 ml (2 tablespoons) sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, or light olive oil
- 170 grams (6 ounces) coarsely chopped lion's mane mushrooms or other mushrooms
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 725 ml (24.5 ounces) passata or tomato puree
- 1 sprig fresh oregano or 5 ml (1 teaspoon) dried oregano
- 1 fresh or dried bay leaf
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) sugar, optional
Preparation
- In a large saucepan over medium-heat, heat the oil until sizzling. Add the onion and stir until softened but not browned, 2-3 minutes.
2. Raise heat to medium-high. Add the chopped mushrooms and stir until they are softened and beginning to brown on the edges, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the passata, oregano, and bay leaf. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Depending on the natural sweetness of the tomato sauce, you may wish to add a bit of sugar. Stir well and reduce heat to low.
4. Reduce heat to very low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. If the mixture is very thick and appears to be sticking to the bottom of the pot, add a little water as needed. Remove bay leaf before serving.
Denise Landis
Denise Landis had been employed as an archeologist for seven years before a food editor hired her to test some recipes from a cookbook manuscript. This short stint led to longer assignments, and two years later she began testing recipes for the New York Times. She has been a professional recipe tester and editor for over 25 years, is the author of a New York Times cookbook, and has written for numerous publications. She is a member of the New York Chapter of Les Dames d’ Escoffier.
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