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    Home / Recipes / Course / Dinner

    11 Sep 15, 2015 Dinner  |   Jump to Recipe

    Wild Mushroom Tomato Sauce Recipe

    I’ve got some exciting news to share with all of you today!!

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Wild Mushroom Tomato Sauce with Herbs

    In just under one week, I’ll be heading to the Tuscany region of Italy to embark on a weeklong DaVinci Storyteller Experience sponsored by DaVinci Wine! AHHHHH, so exciting!!! Set in the picturesque town of Vinci, Italy (the birthplace of Leonardo Da Vinci), this immersive experience is focused on the Cantine Leonardo da Vinci, an innovative growers’ cooperative committed to producing authentic Tuscan wine, including the flagship DaVinci Chianti.

    Throughout the week, I’ll be diving into all things Cantine Leonardo Da Vinci, including vineyard tours, culinary experiences, delicious food and wine galore, plus meet and greets with local chefs, wine growers and other personalities in and around Vinci. Joining me on this trip are some food blogger favorites including Alana from Fix Feast Flair, Molly from my name is yeh and Rebecca from Foodie with Family. This is going to be such a fun week!

    In anticipation of this trip, I’ve developed a new tomato sauce recipe infused with the flavors of Tuscany. Particularly mushroom and Chianti! Continue reading for the recipe plus more on DaVinci Wine.

    Sauce Aromatics

    Sauce Ingredients

    I’ve mentioned before on KK that I’m part Italian. 50% Italian actually. My mother’s side of the family comes from Naples and Sicily, so my Italian recipe repertoire is definitely more influenced by those regions. Over the past few years, I’ve also infused American and California flavors into my Italian cooking (Wild Ramp Pizza for example).

    Tuscan flavors, however, are something that I’m not overly familiar with. After doing a little research, I found that Tuscan cuisine includes:

    • Regional and seasonal vegetables
    • Fresh fruit
    • Olive oil
    • Mushrooms (porcini and truffles)
    • Beans
    • Bread
    • Cheese
    • Beef (Florentine steak)
    • Game (boar, rabbit, deer)
    • Wine (Chianti, Brunello and more)

    I know that’s not much right now (and quite vague), but I will definitely have a better grasp of Tuscan cuisine after going through this Storyteller experience. For now, I’ve decided to focus on mushrooms and Chianti.

    DaVinci Wine Chianti

    This Wild Mushroom Tomato Sauce is a variation of my mother’s Homemade Tomato Sauce. The base herbs and aromatics are similar, but I’ve added dried porcini mushrooms, fresh cremini mushrooms, thyme, bay and reduced DaVinci Chianti to the mix.

    Rich with notes of ripe plums, cherries, pepper and red fruit, the Chianti is cooked briefly with dried porcini mushrooms. The mushrooms then steep in the wine for 30 minutes, get strained out and chopped. The mushroom-infused wine is then reduced significantly to concentrate flavors. Reduced wine and mushrooms are added back into the sauce later on, adding a big boost of flavor. The finished sauce has the most incredible depth of flavor with mouth-watering savory notes (umami!) from the wine and mushrooms.

    Sauce in Pot

    Wild Mushroom Tomato Sauce

    While in Tuscany, I’ll be posting frequently on Instagram, and I’ll also be setting up a live feed article that will follow one of the hashtags from the trip. So far I’ve tried 3 of the 4 DaVinci wine varietals (Chianti, Chianti Riserva and Pinot Grigio), and they’re all really, really tasty.  DaVinci also has a Brunello di Montalcino that I’ll get to try while in Italy.  Can’t wait!!

    If you’d like to connect with DaVinci Wine, please follow them here:

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    Wild Mushroom Tomato Sauce with Herbs

    Wild Mushroom Tomato Sauce

    by Brandon Matzek
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Servings 8 cups

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 1/2 cup Chianti (I used Da Vinci Wine Chianti here)
    • 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, lightly rinsed if dusty
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 1 smallish onion, finely chopped (heaping 1 1/2 cups)
    • 1/2 large carrot, finely chopped (heaping 1/2 cup)
    • 1 celery stick, finely chopped (heaping 1/4 cup)
    • Kosher salt
    • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
    • Crushed red pepper flakes, optional
    • 1 pound cremini mushrooms, wiped clean, stems removed and finely chopped
    • 2 28- ounce cans crushed tomato
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 1/4 cup water
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
    • 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil

    Instructions
     

    • Bring Chianti and dried porcinis to a simmer in a medium pot set over medium-high heat. Cook for 5 minutes, then take the pot off the heat and cover. Let steep for 30 minutes, then scoop out the porcinis with a slotted spoon and reserve. Return the pot with the wine over medium-high heat and cook until reduced to 3 – 4 tablespoons of liquid. Chop the porcinis and set aside along with the reduced wine.
    • Warm olive oil and butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Once you see the oil shimmering, add the chopped onion, carrot and celery, and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic, a pinch of red pepper flake, and the cremini mushrooms, then continue to sauté until vegetables are soft but not brown, stirring occasionally.
    • Add crushed tomato, tomato paste, water, bay, thyme, sugar, reserved chopped porcini, reduced wine, a few pinches of kosher salt and several turns of freshly ground black pepper, stirring to combine. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat to low then simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour.
    • To finish the sauce, stir in chopped parsley and basil. Season to taste with additional kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
    • Serve this sauce with your favorite pasta. I like to add two or three sizable spoonfuls of sauce to freshly drained spaghetti, tossing to coat. This will ensure that the spaghetti absorbs the flavor of the sauce. Place a mound of spaghetti on a plate then top with extra sauce (I like it saucy :)), chopped parsley and/or basil, grated Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.
    Tried this recipe?Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can check it out!

    As a 2015 DaVinci Storyteller, this post was written in partnership with DaVinci Wine. DaVinci Wine has provided me with this experience. All thoughts, opinions and recipes are my own.

    As the other Storytellers post their recipes, I will share photos and links below:

    Alana’s Kale Ricotta Cavatelli

    Cavatelli

    Molly’s Zhoug Risotto with Fresh Tomatoes, Onions and Za’atar

    Zhoug Risotto

     

    Rebecca’s Slow-Cooker Italian Pork

    Slow-Cooker-Italian-Shredded-Pork-600x900

    11
    Brandon and Federico
    Brandon

    I’m Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Did you make a recipe? Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can see the how it went!

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    Categories: Dinner Tags: basil, bay leaf, black pepper, butter, carrot, celery, chianti, cremini mushrooms, crushed tomato, dried porcini mushrooms, kosher salt, olive oil, onion, parsley, red pepper flake, sugar, thyme, tomato paste

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alana says

      September 15, 2015 at 8:12 am

      YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY!! First of all, that opening shot is $$$$!! So pretty! Secondly, WE’RE GOING TO TUSCANY!! I’m so excited!!! EEEEPPP!! Here we come DaVinci wine, cheese, prosciutto, pizza, and everything under the Tuscan sun!!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        September 15, 2015 at 4:48 pm

        Thanks Alana :)!!!! Can’t wait for our trip. Just 4 days away!!! And don’t forget about that porcini mushroom dinner 😉

        Reply
      • Rebecca {foodie with family} says

        September 17, 2015 at 5:53 pm

        5 stars
        OH my goodnessgracious. I can’t even WAIT to get to Tuscany with you all!!! We’re going to eat ALL THE THINGS! Is this a dream or what? I’ll eat all of Molly’s mushrooms for her. And everyone else’s if they’re not looking. I’m just warning you. Me and mushrooms? Like this.

        Brandon- This looks absolutely addictive. I love the dried porcinis in it. They add such a layer of umami. P.S. What’s Italian for umami?

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          September 30, 2015 at 4:38 pm

          We ate so many tasty things in Tuscany :)!! Had such a fun time getting to known you Rebecca. Thanks!!

          Reply
    2. Averie @ Averie Cooks says

      September 15, 2015 at 11:02 am

      This is going to be such an amazing trip!! I seriously can’t wait to follow along on your IG photos (you always do such a great job of sharing your trips on IG!) and this time…it’s Italy, and wine!

      Gorgeous sauce, I love mushrooms!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        September 15, 2015 at 4:50 pm

        Thanks Averie :)!!! There will be so much food and wine to share on IG. Can’t wait :)!!

        Reply
    3. Brian @ A Thought For Food says

      September 15, 2015 at 11:08 am

      That is beyond exciting. Ever since I traveled to Piedmont for an all-too-brief visit I’ve been dying to return to Italy. I can’t wait to read all about it and enjoy all the photos. Wishing you safe travels.

      This tomato sauce is just what I crave this time of year… on a cooler night, you just want something a bit comforting.

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        September 16, 2015 at 8:19 am

        Thanks Brian! Yeah I’m super excited. I’ve explored many of the big cities in Italy, so I’m happy I get to spend some quality time in be county really diving into the food culture.

        Reply
    4. Maris (In Good Taste) says

      September 15, 2015 at 3:32 pm

      Beautiful sauce — I love mushrooms!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        September 16, 2015 at 8:20 am

        Thanks Maris!

        Reply
    5. Lorena says

      September 15, 2015 at 6:12 pm

      Holy cow!! Lucky youuuu!!! You deserve it though. Your recipes are bomb and your photos are simply gorgeous!! I’m really looking forward to seeing your Italy pictures. I am so excited for you!!! Congrats!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        September 16, 2015 at 8:20 am

        Aww thanks so much Lorena!

        Reply
    6. Kristina says

      September 15, 2015 at 6:21 pm

      gorgeous photos, Brandon!

      and yeeeeee! excited for you, what a fantastic opportunity. I look forward to following along, cheers!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        September 16, 2015 at 8:20 am

        Thanks Kristina :)!

        Reply
    7. Debra @ Bowl Me Over says

      September 15, 2015 at 7:36 pm

      Your sauce looks incredible, so rich, hearty and flavorful! Loving it!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        September 16, 2015 at 8:21 am

        Thanks Debra! This sauce is definitely hearty. The mushrooms and Chianti add nice depth of flavor too.

        Reply
    8. Susan | LunaCafe says

      September 15, 2015 at 8:26 pm

      5 stars
      Love this sauce. Perfect for fall. Will try it soon. 🙂

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        September 16, 2015 at 8:22 am

        Thanks Susan! Give it a go.

        Reply
    9. cristina says

      September 15, 2015 at 8:53 pm

      Congratulations, Brandon! What a fun culinary trip, a food-lovers dream especially if you love Italian flavors. I’m looking forward to following what you’re up to while you’re there so I can take copious notes if I’m ever able to visit. Your use of Chianti in the wild mushroom sauce looks and sounds like a delicious pairing. Safe travels!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        September 16, 2015 at 8:22 am

        Thanks so much Cristina!

        Reply
    10. Annie @ Annie's Noms says

      September 16, 2015 at 12:48 am

      So jealous you’re going to Italy! I would love to go there, have a great time!! This sauce looks to die for, I could just go for some with some pasta right now!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        September 16, 2015 at 8:23 am

        Thanks Annie 🙂

        Reply
    11. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

      September 16, 2015 at 4:12 am

      This sauce sounds and looks absolutely stunning! All those flavors and the smell of it on the stove 😉 So good!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        September 16, 2015 at 8:24 am

        The smells are incredible here. Especially the porcinis simmering in the Chianti :). Thanks!

        Reply
    12. Amanda Jane says

      September 16, 2015 at 8:30 am

      You. are. so. lucky! Sounds like a trip of a lifetime– and your sauce is on point. Can’t wait to try!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        September 16, 2015 at 8:32 am

        Thanks Amanda Jane :)!!

        Reply
    13. Steph @ Steph in Thyme says

      September 16, 2015 at 11:49 am

      5 stars
      This trip sounds INCREDIBLE!!! So jealous. Can’t wait to read all about it. Have FUN!! (And pass me a bowl of the sauce. Just the sauce. That’s all I need).

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        September 16, 2015 at 3:29 pm

        Thanks Steph! For me, I could just eat this sauce with a big chuck of crust bread 🙂

        Reply
    14. The Surprised Gourmet says

      September 17, 2015 at 10:03 am

      Having Italian ancestors myself, I can image this trip would be amazing in so many ways. Looking forward to reading about it.

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        September 17, 2015 at 11:26 am

        Thanks so much!!

        Reply
    15. Katerina @ Diethood says

      September 17, 2015 at 10:16 am

      I cannot even express how amazing this looks right now!! WOW!
      Have an amazing trip!!!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        September 17, 2015 at 11:26 am

        Thanks Katerina!

        Reply
    16. [email protected] says

      September 17, 2015 at 11:15 am

      Yayayayayay!!!!!!!! How super awesome is this news and food! I am so happy for you, I can’t wait to follow along your adventures. It will be a perfect and amazing trip. Yayayayay!!!!!!!!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        September 17, 2015 at 11:33 am

        Thanks Fabiola!!!

        Reply
    17. Claudia | The Brick Kitchen says

      September 17, 2015 at 9:19 pm

      You are going to have the best time, it sounds like such an incredible trip! All things food in Italy?! So cool. Can’t wait to see photos and lots more Tuscan food around here – and on that note, this pasta sauce looks incredible – so rich without being creamy, and love the wild porcini mushrooms too <3

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        September 30, 2015 at 4:39 pm

        Thanks Claudia :)!

        Reply
    18. Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      September 18, 2015 at 11:01 am

      This sounds absolutely wonderful!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        September 30, 2015 at 4:40 pm

        Thanks Kimberly :)!

        Reply
    19. Faith (An Edible Mosaic) says

      September 18, 2015 at 4:22 pm

      First can I just say that I’m in love with the label on that wine bottle? It’s gorgeous. And This sauce – yum. And your trip – jealous!! Have fun and share lots of pics. 😉

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        September 30, 2015 at 4:41 pm

        Thanks Faith :)!!

        Reply
    20. Brandy M says

      September 18, 2015 at 4:48 pm

      Can I pack myself in you bag, I love to travel and the food there has GOT to be awesome! Congrats! Have a great time!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        September 30, 2015 at 4:42 pm

        Haha thanks!!

        Reply
    21. Cynthia/What A Girl Eats says

      September 19, 2015 at 6:43 pm

      Have a great time in Italy! One of my favorite places to travel! Your sauce looks amazing too!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        September 30, 2015 at 4:44 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    22. Arthur in the Garden! says

      October 9, 2015 at 8:05 am

      5 stars
      Yummy!

      Reply

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    I'm Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Read More…


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