Hearty Vegetable Ragu with Pappardelle Pasta Recipe

An incredible Vegetable Ragu that’s rich in flavor and completely meat-free. Made with simple vegetables, fresh herbs and garlic. Toss with your favorite pasta and top with plenty of parmesan.

This ragu has deep, savoury flavour and a lovely texture — you’d never guess it’s vegetarian. It simmers for about an hour, which concentrates the flavours, and takes far less time than a traditional meat ragu. Serve with your favorite pasta, a generous sprinkle of parmesan and crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

Ingredients – what you need

• Vegetables: onion, carrot, celery and red bell pepper.
• Herbs: rosemary, thyme, sage and a bay leaf.
• Dried porcini mushrooms: rehydrated in hot stock for extra umami.
• Garlic: fresh cloves, finely chopped.
• Stock: good quality vegetable stock (or chicken stock if not vegetarian).
• Wine: white or red, about 125ml (½ cup). Replace with extra stock for alcohol-free.
• Tomato paste: a tablespoon of concentrated tomato paste for depth.
• Butter: a small amount to finish the sauce and add creaminess.

How to make Vegetable Ragu – step by step

Prepare the stock and add the dried porcini to the hot stock to rehydrate; set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter in a large, deep-sided pan over medium-low heat. When hot, add finely chopped carrot, celery, onion, red pepper and the chopped rosemary, thyme and sage. Sauté for 10–15 minutes until softened but not browned.

Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the cherry tomatoes and the wine, simmer 2–3 minutes until slightly reduced.

Remove the porcini from the stock, roughly chop and add to the vegetables. Pour in the stock, add the bay leaf and tomato paste and stir to combine.

Cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to simmer for another 20 minutes until the sauce has reduced, thickened slightly and the vegetables are tender.

Cook pasta until al dente (follow packet instructions), toss with the ragu and serve with grated parmesan.

Top tips and recipe FAQs

• Chop finely: The vegetables should be cut as small as possible so they soften quickly. A food processor helps, but don’t blitz them into a purée.
• Dried porcini mushrooms: Rinse briefly to remove grit, then soak in hot stock for at least 10 minutes. Chop and add to the sauce with the soaking liquid for concentrated umami.
• Don’t skip the butter: A little butter at the end gives the ragu a silky richness.
• Fresh herbs: Use fresh where possible. If you don’t have all three, one or two will still work well.
• Storage: Keeps in the fridge for 2–3 days or can be frozen in airtight containers.

More Italian vegetarian recipes you might like

• Lentil Ragu Lasagne
• Penne Pomodoro (Tomato Basil Pasta)
• Spaghetti Aglio e Olio: Garlic & Oil Pasta
• Ricotta Pasta Sauce: 2 Ways
• Cavatelli and Broccoli Pasta

If you try this Vegetable Ragu, please leave a comment to let me know how it turned out — I love hearing from readers!

Vegetable Ragu with Pappardelle Pasta

By Emily

Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 1 hr | Total: 1 hr 15 mins | Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 large carrot (or 2 small), peeled and finely chopped
• 1 stick celery, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped (seeds and stalk removed)
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, roughly chopped
• 3–4 sage leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ cup white wine (125ml) — or extra stock for alcohol-free
• 2 cups vegetable stock (500ml)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (tomato purée in the UK)
• 2 tbsp dried porcini mushrooms
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter (30g)
• Salt and pepper, to season

For serving

• 400g (14 oz) pappardelle or pasta of choice
• Grated parmesan to serve

Instructions

1. Prepare the vegetable stock and add the dried porcini mushrooms to the hot stock to rehydrate; set aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and the butter in a large deep-sided pan over medium-low heat. Add the chopped carrot, celery, onion, bell pepper and the chopped herbs. Sauté 10–15 minutes until softened but not browned.
3. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute until fragrant. Add the cherry tomatoes and the wine, simmer 2–3 minutes until slightly reduced.
4. Remove the porcini from the stock, roughly chop and add to the vegetables. Add the vegetable stock, bay leaf and tomato paste, stir to combine.
5. Cover and simmer 30 minutes, then uncover and simmer another 20 minutes until the sauce is reduced and the vegetables are tender.
6. Cook pasta until al dente (8–10 minutes depending on packet). Toss with the ragu and serve with grated parmesan.

Notes

• Cut vegetables finely so they cook evenly. A food processor helps but avoid over-blending.
• Rinse porcini quickly to remove grit, then soak in hot stock for at least 10 minutes. Use the soaking liquid for extra flavour.
• Butter adds richness — don’t skip it if you can avoid it.
• Fresh herbs give the best flavour; use what you have if you don’t have all three.
• Leftovers keep 2–3 days in the fridge or can be frozen.
• Nutritional information refers to the sauce alone and excludes the pasta.

Nutrition (per serving, sauce only)

Calories: 227 kcal | Carbohydrates: 19 g | Protein: 5 g | Fat: 14 g | Saturated fat: 5 g | Cholesterol: 15 mg | Sodium: 148 mg | Potassium: 579 mg | Fiber: 4 g | Sugar: 6 g