Meatless “Meat” Sauce with Chickpeas and Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 10 oz cremini mushrooms (Trimmed)
• 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (Divided: 5 tablespoons for cooking mushrooms and 1 tablespoon for the garlic mixture)
• 1 tsp table salt (Plus additional salt to taste at the end)
• 1 onion (Chopped)
• 5 cloves garlic (Minced)
• 1.25 tsp dried oregano
• 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
• 0.25 cup tomato paste
• 28 oz crushed tomatoes (One 28-ounce can)
• 2 cup vegetable broth
• 15 oz chickpeas (One can; rinse and drain well)
• 2 tbsp fresh basil (Chopped)
• black pepper (To taste, added at the end)

Steps

1. 1

   Working in two batches, pulse the trimmed cremini mushrooms in a food processor until chopped into 1/8- to 1/4-inch pieces, about 7 to 10 pulses. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, and do not clean the workbowl afterward.

2. 2

   Heat 5 tablespoons of the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.

3. 3

   Add the chopped mushrooms and 1 teaspoon of table salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are browned and fond has formed on the bottom of the pot, about 8 minutes.

4. 4

   While the mushrooms cook, pulse the onion in the food processor until finely chopped, about 7 to 10 pulses, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Do not clean the workbowl.

5. 5

   Transfer the onion to the pot with the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

6. 6

   Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, minced garlic, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes in a bowl.

7. 7

   Add the tomato paste to the pot and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is rust-colored, 1 to 2 minutes.

8. 8

   Reduce the heat to medium and push the vegetables to the sides of the pot. Add the garlic mixture to the center and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

9. 9

   Stir in the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth. Bring the sauce to a simmer over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

10. 10

    While the sauce simmers, pulse the chickpeas in the food processor until chopped into 1/4-inch pieces, about 7 to 10 pulses.

11. 11

    Transfer the chopped chickpeas to a fine-mesh strainer. Rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear, then drain well.

12. 12

    Add the chickpeas to the pot and simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.

13. 13

    Stir in the chopped fresh basil. Season the sauce with additional salt and black pepper to taste.

Notes

The sauce makes 6 cups, enough for 2 pounds of pasta. It can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• sauce
• vegetarian
• vegan
• dairy-free
• Italian-inspired
• stovetop
• make-ahead