A vegan vegetable ragu is a hearty yet healthy, stew-like dish made with various vegetables. It is a perfect meal for a cold winter day and can be made in a slow cooker or on the stovetop. This dish is flavorful and will please even the pickiest of eaters.
About this recipe
Don’t you have days you like having a date with your partner? I know that on those days, the ideal thing is to go out. To have someone cook you dinner and not have to do anything at home.
But those days can also be hectic, with thousands of people going out to restaurants, and some days it is better to stay in.
Pasta is always a good idea these days, right? It’s so romantic. I love this vegetable ragu recipe because its flavor makes us feel like we’re in the best Italian restaurant in the world despite being super simple.
Ingredients
- Pasta, I love a good long noodle for this Italian sauce. But feel free to use it over short pasta, gnocchi, or even polenta.
- Olive oil, a good extra virgin olive oil, is key here.
- Carrot, diced carrots. If you want, you could pulse it a few times in the food processor (affiliate link).
- Celery, finely chopped
- Onion, any onion, will work here. Red onion, yellow or white onion. You could substitute
- Garlic, you could sub with shallots, but please do not use prechopped garlic.
- Red wine, use a good wine but not your best bottle, 😉.
- San Marzano tomatoes. I use canned tomatoes, and my favorite brand is Bianco DiNapoli. Feel free to use home-cooked tomato sauce.
- Parsley, fresh parsley is always best.
How to make Vegetable Ragu – step by step
- In a pot/pan, add the extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat, add the ragu vegetables with a pinch of salt, and saute until soft and brown. It takes about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the red wine and peel off the bits stuck in the pot’s bottom. Leave the wine for 2 or 3 minutes or until it almost evaporates.
- Add the tomato and the parsley and lower the heat; let it simmer for 5-7 minutes. Stir from time to time.
- Cook the pasta as it says on the package. Add to the sauce when ready with a pair of kitchen tongs.
- Finish with a little olive oil, fresh parsley, and sea salt.
What is the difference between a ragù and a Bolognese?
The main difference between a ragù and a Bolognese is the type of meat used. A ragù is typically made with beef or pork, while a Bolognese is made with ground beef. The other ingredients in the two sauces can vary,
Give this recipe a twist
- Add mushrooms while sauteeing the vegetables, giving the dish a more umami, meaty flavor.
- Finish with a tablespoon of vegan butter to make it richer and creamier.
- Add a teaspoon of dried oregano for a more classic Italian sauce recipe.
- Add a tablespoon or two of tomato paste to enhance the tomato flavor
- Don’t use wine if you don’t want to.
Tips for the best vegetable ragu
- Freeze. You can prepare the sauce and freeze it for later. It will last up to three months.
- Double the recipe. This vegetable ragu recipe can be doubled for a large crowd.
- Freeze in portions. Another good idea is to portion the sauce and freeze it. That way, you can thaw one or as many portions as you need.
Tips for cooking the noodles
- Always use a large pot of salted water for cooking your pasta; this will prevent the noodles from sticking.
- I like to add the pasta straight from the cooking pot to the sauce; that way, a little bit of pasta cooking water gets into the sauce and makes it delicious.
- If the pasta is too dry, ladle some pasta water into the pan.
How to serve THE VEGGIE RAGU
Serve this pasta with a vegan Ceasar salad, summer Panzanella, or a simple salad with a classic vinaigrette.
Other recipes that you may like:
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Vegetable Ragu
Equipment
- large pasta pot
Ingredients
- 1 1 lb package of spaghetti pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small chopped carrot
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- ½ chopped medium onion
- 1 clove of minced garlic
- ½ – ¾ cup of red wine
- 1 can of 28 oz San Marzano tomato in pieces or mashed
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt or more if necessary
Instructions
- In a pot/pan, add the extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat, add the vegetables with a pinch of salt, and leave them there until they are soft and brown. About 5-7 minutes.
- Add the red wine and peel off the bits stuck in the pot’s bottom. Leave the wine for 2 or 3 minutes or until it almost evaporates.
- Add the tomato and the parsley and lower the heat; let it simmer for 5-7 minutes. Stir from time to time.
- Cook the pasta as it says on the package. When ready, with a pair of bread tongs, remove it little by little, letting the water drain a little, and put it directly in the saucepan. If you think the sauce is very watery, do not worry, it will be absorbed. On the other hand, if the sauce is a bit dry, add about half a cup of pasta water (where the pasta was cooked).
- Finish with a little olive oil, fresh parsley, and sea salt.
Nutrition
information
Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Sarten con tapa / Dutch oven braiser
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Tengo una Certificación Profesional en la cocina vegana; en el mundo de la cocina basada en vegetales, frutas, granos, leguminosas… en comida limpia, orgánica y vegana.
My cookbook is called Yo Cocino Latino..
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