Lentil and Mushroom Ragu

Name: Lentil & Mushroom Ragu
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 224 g Gluten-free pasta ((or wheat if preferred)); 1 Leek (or onion if preferred, finely sliced); 3 medium Carrots (finely chopped); 500 g Mushrooms (finely chopped); 300 g Red lentils; 1 Jar Passata (680g); 3 Celery stalks (finely chopped); 1 tsp Red chilli flakes ((red pepper flakes)); 1 tsp Dried oregano; 150 ml Red wine (vegan); 500 g Vegetable stock ((broth)); dash Salt; dash Ground black pepper; 2 tbsp Basil, fresh

by VeganInspire25 Jul 2019Healthy, Kids, Main Meal, WFPB

Hazel Thornicroft

VI Owner, Foodie, Blogger & Planet Enthusiast

Hazel Thornicroft

VI Owner, Foodie, Blogger & Planet Enthusiast

Servings

4

Ready In:

55 mins

Protein:

31.5g

Good For:

Healthy Dinner, Kids

Lentil & Mushroom Ragu – gluten free

About a year ago, a couple of my best friends invited Keith and me round for dinner. Knowing we are vegan, and being aware of my many intolerances, they cooked us an incredible vegan 3-course meal. All three dishes were amazing, but the one that stood out for me the most was their ragu. I had been a little wary of making ragu myself (lentils and I don’t always see eye-to-eye even though they are awesome!) But having had this, it inspired me to try out some different recipes.

Over time I added more mushrooms, because 1. I love mushrooms and 2. they give a real meaty texture and 3. it helps me to reduce the amount of lentils needed making it easier on my tummy…and with 31.5g of protein still in each portion (that’s 63% of my RDA) taking a few lentils out definitely doesn’t matter!

One thing that I love about a good ragu is that you eat heaps of vegetables without even realising. You’ve got celery, carrots, mushrooms and tomatoes all thrown in…and one secret to a good ragu is to have the vegetables chopped up pretty small. You don’t want them to stand out against the lentils.

Most of the work to this dish is in the prep. Once you’ve chopped your veg up, it’s just a matter of cooking your leeks (I tend to dry fry mine – using some water) in a large pan and then adding passatta along with dried herbs, chilli flakes, red wine, vegetable stock/broth and of course the vegetables and red lentils. Stir well, cover and then sit back and let it simmer away for 15 minutes.

All you need to do then is to cook up your pasta – I use gluten free pasta, but I usually cook up some spelt or wholewheat pasta for Keith as he prefers the taste. The serve this with the ragu and a sprinkle of fresh basil.

Print Recipe

Lentil & Mushroom Ragu

gluten free* | dairy free | soy free | refined sugar free | nut free

* use gf stock cubes

A take on the usual meat version, which will have meat-eaters coming back for more! This ragu has a rich umami flavour deriving from the tomatoes and mushrooms, and really complimenting the lentils subtlety.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time35 mins

Total Time55 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: people

Calories: 603kcal

Ingredients

224 g Gluten-free pasta (or wheat if preferred)
1 Leek or onion if preferred, finely sliced
3 medium Carrots finely chopped
500 g Mushrooms finely chopped
300 g Red lentils
1 Jar Passata 680g
3 Celery stalks finely chopped
1 tsp Red chilli flakes (red pepper flakes)
1 tsp Dried oregano
150 ml Red wine vegan
500 g Vegetable stock (broth)
dash Salt
dash Ground black pepper
2 tbsp Basil, fresh

Instructions

Cook your chosen pasta as per packet instructions.
In a large saucepan, add the leek with 4 tbsp of water and cook on a medium heat for 4 minutes, to soften.
Add all other ingredients except seasoning and basil. Cover and continue to cook for 15 minutes, until the lentils are fully cooked, and the vegetables are left with a slight bite to them.
N.b. If you want a thicker consistency you can either continue to cook with the lid off or stir in a tbsp cornflour.
Season to your preference.
Serve on top of your pasta and top with the chopped basil.