This delicious and distinctive Piedmontese hazelnut ragu replaces meat with hazelnuts, simmered with red wine, vegetables and aromatic herbs to create a rich, vegetarian ragu. It’s full of flavor and pairs beautifully with pasta or polenta.
Quick recipe snapshot
- Traditional Piedmontese inspiration
- A satisfying meat-free alternative to classic ragu
- About 1 hour simmer time and packed with flavor
Table of Contents
- Quick recipe snapshot
- Ingredient notes
- Visual walk-through of the recipe
- Recipe tips and FAQs
- More recipes from Piedmont to try
- Full Recipe
When I first discovered ragu alle nocciole I was eager to try it — it’s unlike the usual meat-based ragù. Piedmont in northern Italy is renowned for its hazelnuts, so it’s natural they feature prominently here. Hazelnuts also appear in many regional treats, from chocolate spreads to famous cookies and chocolates.
This dish doesn’t have a single canonical version, so this is our interpretation. The result is a deeply flavored, satisfying vegetarian sauce that highlights toasted hazelnuts, earthy mushrooms and a splash of red wine.
Ingredient notes
- Hazelnuts – Use whole nuts with skins for the best depth of flavor; skinless is fine if preferred. If they’re already toasted, skip the toasting step and pulse them straight away.
- Dried porcini – You can substitute mixed dried mushrooms or fresh crimini mushrooms. Rehydrate dried mushrooms in hot water for at least 10 minutes. If using fresh, chop finely and sauté with the other vegetables.
- Passata – Known as tomato puree in the US. Choose a quality brand for a clean tomato flavor.
Visual walk-through of the recipe
Step 1 – Toast the hazelnuts in a dry pan until fragrant. Let them cool, then pulse in a food processor to a coarse crumb (photos 1–2).
Step 2 – Soak the dried porcini in hot water for at least 10 minutes and set aside (photo 3).
Step 3 – Finely chop carrot, celery and onion and sauté gently until soft but not browned (photo 4).
Step 4 – Add the chopped hazelnuts, garlic, bay leaf and rosemary and cook for a few minutes until aromatic (photo 5).
Step 5 – Roughly chop the rehydrated porcini and add to the pan along with most of the soaking liquid (avoid the grit). Pour in the wine and simmer until the alcohol smell dissipates (photo 6).
Step 6 – Stir in the passata, water and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer on low for 1 hour, checking halfway and adding a splash of water if it becomes too thick. When the ragu is ready, cook pasta until al dente, combine with the sauce and serve (photos 7–8).
Recipe tips and FAQs
- Best pasta to use – Paccheri was used here, but penne, rigatoni, tagliatelle or other robust shapes work well.
- Hazelnut texture – The hazelnuts retain some bite in this version, which adds texture. For a softer result, pulse the nuts finer or extend the simmering time and add more water as needed.
- Serving suggestion – This ragu is equally delicious over creamy polenta as it is with pasta.
Yes. Prepare the ragu ahead of time and refrigerate—it will keep for 3–4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
More recipes from Piedmont to try
Mains
Vitello Tonnato (Veal with Tuna Sauce)
Sides
Ricotta Chicken Croquettes
Fresh Pasta
Homemade Agnolotti (step by step)
Antipasti
Bagna Cauda (Anchovy, Garlic and Butter Dip)
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Step By Step Photos Above
Most of our recipes include step-by-step photos and helpful tips to get the result right the first time.
Piedmontese Hazelnut Ragu
By Emily
Ingredients
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 onion
- 1 cup (150g) whole hazelnuts
- 1/2 cup (15g) dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (125ml) red wine, (such as Barbera d’Asti or Chianti)
- 2 cups (460g) Passata (tomato puree)
- 1/2 cup (125ml) water
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 lb (450g) pasta of choice, (such as paccheri, rigatoni or tagliatelle)
- Parmigiano Reggiano, for serving (use vegetarian-friendly cheese if needed)
Instructions
Prep
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Place the dried porcini in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak at least 10 minutes.
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Toast the hazelnuts in a dry pan for a few minutes. Let cool completely, then pulse in a food processor to a coarse, crumbly texture. Set aside.
Make the ragu
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Finely chop carrot, celery and onion. Heat 1–2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan and sauté the vegetables gently until soft but not browned, about 10 minutes.
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Add the chopped garlic, chopped hazelnuts, bay leaf and rosemary. Sauté 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
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Roughly chop the rehydrated porcini and add them with most of their soaking liquid, taking care to leave any grit behind.
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Pour in the red wine and simmer until the alcohol smell has evaporated. Stir in the passata, water, and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
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Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour, checking halfway and adding ¼–½ cup (60–125ml) water if the sauce reduces too much.
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Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
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Cook pasta in plenty of salted boiling water until al dente. Transfer the pasta to the sauce, adding a splash of pasta water if needed, and toss to coat.
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Serve in bowls with plenty of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Notes
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I use extra virgin olive oil unless noted otherwise.
- For canned or jarred tomatoes I prefer established quality brands for the best flavor.
- Vegetable sizes are assumed medium unless specified.
- Recipes were tested using a fan (convection) oven where applicable.
- Nutrition is calculated automatically and should be used as an approximation.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be treated as an estimate.