Browning non-meat protein sources as the basis for pasta alla genovese

Question

I am making a vegetarian pasta alla genovese. The sauce is made by first browning sofrito and tough meats, then braising for several hours with an abundance of onions until those onions carmelize.

The flavor of the sauce comes from both the carmelization of the carbohydrates of the onions and the Maillard reaction of the meat proteins.

I am making it vegetarian, and I wondered what protein sources besides 'meat-alternatives' I might be able to brown for the sauce. I'm avoiding those because 1) I prefer to cook with whole foods and 2) the options available to me bring unwanted flavors or textures to this particular dishm

Could I, for example, use browned mozzarella as a source for the same 'roasted' flavors in the original dish? Would a sufficient amount of browned butter, in place of olive oil, work in the dish without overcooking?

Answer 1

First, as a non-meat-eater myself, let me say that I would not choose Pasta Alla Genovese as a recipe to make vegetarian; it is very beef-centric. As such, I've never done this myself. That said:

You're going to need to separate the "browning" from the "protein" portions of the dish. There are no simple vegetarian proteins that brown well; even the complex, artificial meats only brown so-so.

Browning: I would start with something similar to the Serious Eats recipe, which has a lot of onions and a lot of vegetables. I would cut the vegetables into larger pieces, and brown them thoroughly in butter (instead of olive oil); get the onions nice and dark brown. Increase the quantity of tomato paste and fry it with the browned vegetables before adding the wine. Also, consider adding some crimini mushrooms to the vegetables.

Protein: your best bet here is going to be beans. They're the only simple veggie protein that cooks for long periods, in order to make the stew more ragu-like. This would mean adding a pound or so of presoaked beans, and then covering them in dark vegetable stock. Large mushrooms (like portabellas) would have a better texture, but would cook for a much shorter time, and make the dish much more mushroomy.

Good luck!

Answer 2

I've seen several brown-able and browning-flavor foodstuffs that aren't meat. While some are unexpected and some are associated with meat, all of these, afaik, are available w/o animal content.

• worcestershire sauce
• gravy browning
• liquid smoke
• fake bacon bits, like bacos
• sausage casings (veggie friend's secret, shh)
• toasted garlic, onions, and shallots
• falafel

Consider as well breading we already brown via fry/sauté:

• breadcrumbs
• batter (chunks, strips or balls)
• grape nuts (another secret)
• cornmeal
• peanuts
• marmite
• melba toast

There's also a few umami-adding ingredients that will provide some of the same notes as browned meat:

• butter
• mushroom powder
• sushi nori
• parmesan
• Reggiano rinds (use like Bay Leaves)
• soy sause
• miso

Lastly, you need pasta anyway, and pasta, especially orzo/vermicelli can be toasted like rice-a-roni instructs to add a richer flavor.