Jason Stoneburner is an expert pasta maker and chef with decades of experience. He’s the chef and partner at Stoneburner, Sunny Hill, and Stoup Brewing in Seattle.

Jason Stoneburner

If you’re in the mood for a hearty pasta, you might be picturing a heaping plate of spaghetti bolognese right now. After all, we tend to associate heartiness with meat. But as anyone who’s ever diced up a mirepoix can tell you, the full, satisfying flavor of meat sauces can owe just as much to the aromatics as to the animal products—which means a vegetarian pasta topper can taste just as rich and decadent as a <a href="/recipes/droolworthy-calabrian-sausage-ragu-and-homemade-capunti-with-jason-stoneburner">spicy sausage ragù</a>. For a savory meat-free sauce to pair with his handmade <a href="/recipes/handmade-capunti-with-jason-stoneburner">capunti</a>, pasta guru and <a href="https://www.stoneburnerseattle.com/home">Stoneburner</a> chef-owner Jason Stoneburner starts with soffritto, the long-lost Italian cousin of mirepoix. Slowly cooking down this magical trio of onions, carrots, and celery brings out their complex flavors. Combine the caramelized veggies with butter-fried wild mushrooms—a Pacific Northwest favorite—for some hearty umami notes, then toss with toothsome homemade pasta. Whether you’re a vegetarian, joining the meatless Mondays club, or just in the mood for something different, this satisfying pasta will make you forget about meat entirely.*OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS: A Series From ChefSteps

At ChefSteps, we love to cook. And we love to share our top tips and techniques with you. But we’re not the boss of everything, and we learn from our friends and colleagues every day. That’s why we created Other People’s Ideas, a new series starring our favorite subject experts. These talented folks are here to help you tackle everything from soup dumplings to pizza pie—and have a ton of fun along the way. You down with OPI? Yeah you are. Let’s do this.*

Wild Mushroom and Soffritto Pasta, With Jason Stoneburner