Mushroom Bolognese

This recipe is from the October Cooking Light. It's interesting how the mushrooms take on the same features of a ground beef/pork, especially when you dice it small and cook it down. It was hearty, flavorful, and rich - very good with a little parmesan cheese and whole wheat noodles. This was a low calorie meal, too.

Mushroom Bolognese
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/2 cups chopped onion
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/2 pound ground pork
8 cups finely chopped cremini mushrooms (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup white wine
1 (14-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup whole milk
10 ounce uncooked whole-wheat spaghetti
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Combine porcini and boiling water in a bowl; cover and let stand 20 minutes or until soft. Drain porcini in a colander lined with a paper towel over a bowl, reserving liquid. Rinse and chop porcini.

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and pork; cook 10 minutes or until pork is browned, stirring to crumble pork. Add cremini mushrooms, garlic, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook 15 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring occasionally. Add porcini; cook 1 minute. Add tomato paste; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add reserved porcini liquid and wine; cook 1 minute, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes as necessary. Stir in milk; cook 2 minutes.

Cook pasta according to package directions, adding 1 tablespoon salt to cooking water. Drain. Toss pasta with sauce; top with cheese and parsley.