Ragu it's in there

It is cold here in halifax.  On Monday, I made this really fragrant and satisfying sauce with vegetables from the farmer's market.  The carrots were particularly beautiful, moist and crisp!  I think these will be the last fresh tomatoes for the season.  Some of them were a little mealy, and I was very sad.

I used the tomatoes we canned in August for this ragu, and they were so delicious!  Definitely worth the ordeal.

Ragu it's in there!

Takes 2 hours

Makes 4 servings

1 large onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds

1 pint mushrooms, sliced

1/3 cup sherry

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 500ml jar tomatoes

8 roma tomatoes, diced

1 package linguine

Heat oil in a large skillet on high heat.  When hot, add fennel seeds.  Toast for a few seconds, add onions and carrots and smoked paprika.  When it smells smoky and the onions are translucent, add the garlic and the mushrooms.  Cook until the water from the mushrooms is released, evaporates, and the mushrooms begin to brown.  It will take awhile, especially if like me you don't have a big enough pan.  It took my mushrooms about 15 minutes.

They weren't done yet in that picture.

Add sherry, and cook until it evaporates.  Add the bayleaf, salt (you might not want as much as I have here, add 1/2 tsp. now, and you can add the rest later), pepper, and both kind of tomatoes.  Reduce heat to simmer, and continue to cook for 45 minutes to an hour, until it is thick and the oil shimmers on the surface.

Meanwhile, heat a large pot of water for the pasta.  I add salt to my water.   Cook according to package directions.  I made linguine.  I like to under-cook mine in the pasta water, drain and finish it in the sauce, an extra 3 to 4 minutes

Sprinkle with basil/parsley/parmesan.  Whatever you want!

We ate ours with some sauteed spinach.  Unfortunately, I am still figuring out the picture taking, and I don't have any of the final sauce.  Just imagine, thick tomato-ey, mushroom-y goodness.