January 22, 2014

Mushroom & Lentil Ragu

Name: Mushroom & Lentil Ragu
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 12 ounces button mushrooms, sliced; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 large carrot, chopped; 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped; 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped; 1/4 cup red wine; 1 bay leaf; 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes; 2 cups water; 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed and picked through; 2 teaspoons dried oregano; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil; 1 box (16 ounces) spaghetti noodles; Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish; Grated Parmesan cheese or vegan Parmesan-style cheese alternative, for serving (optional)

This Mushroom and Lentil Ragu is a hearty vegetarian pasta sauce that will leave even the hungriest eaters satisfied. Serve this vegan ragu over your favorite noodles!

This Mushroom and Lentil Ragu is a hearty vegetarian pasta sauce that will leave even the hungriest eaters satisfied. Serve this vegan ragu over your favorite noodles! | foxeslovelemons.com

Let’s pretend it’s Meatless Monday, even though it’s Wednesday. I’m a big fan of meatless meals in general, and try to eat them at least once a week. While I’m generally pretty satisfied with a mushroom risotto or butternut squash noodles, all of these meals have to pass the “husband test.” This Mushroom & Lentil Ragu certainly did.

A sure sign that a meatless meal did not have enough substance? A few hours after dinner, Jeff sneaks off to the kitchen and returns with a handful of peanuts. And then does it again. And then maybe makes some popcorn.

Usually by this point, my stomach is rumbling too, so I grab my own bowl of popcorn. That’s when I’ve realized that my vegetarian dinner clearly didn’t have enough substance to get us through until breakfast the next morning.

About this Mushroom & Lentil Ragu for pasta:

This Mushroom & Lentil Ragu is, without a doubt, the most satisfying meatless meal I have ever made. I think that both lentils and mushrooms have a quite “meaty” quality to them, and knew they would sub in for meat in a ragu pretty seamlessly.

Sure enough, the lentils soaked up the flavors of garlic, tomatoes and spices, and the mushrooms added even more substance to this hearty sauce. Serve this Mushroom & Lentil Ragu over your favorite pasta for a filling vegetarian meal that will leave you satisfied all night!

The ingredients for this vegan ragu are found at your grocery store:

mushrooms
garlic
carrot
green pepper
onion
red wine
canned tomatoes
lentils
herbs and spices
spaghetti noodles

How do you make lentil ragu with mushrooms?

Like just about any pasta sauce, you’ll start by sauteeing aromatics (onions, garlic, carrot, bell pepper), plus mushrooms, in oil until they’re softened. Then, you’re going to hit the pot with a little bit of wine to “deglaze” the pan and get all of the crusty bits (flavor!) off of the bottom of the pot. Use a wooden spoon to help scrape these bits off as soon as the wine goes in.

Then, you’ll stir in the lentils, water, canned tomatoes, and herbs and spices. Bring it to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer and cook 25 minutes or until the lentils and mushrooms are soft enough for your liking.

What defines a ragu? Can you make it with lentils and mushrooms?

According to Miram-Webster, a ragu is “a hearty, seasoned Italian sauce of meat and tomatoes that is used chiefly in pasta dishes and that is typically made with ground beef, tomatoes, and finely chopped onions, celery, and carrots.”

So, is this sauce made with lentils and mushrooms instead of meat technically a ragu? Probably not. But is it delicious? Definitely yes.

Can you freeze lentil ragu?

The truth is, I’ve never tried freezing this sauce. It’s so delicious that my husband and I just eat it for dinner and then finish the leftovers for lunch the next day. However, I have been known to freeze lentil soup, and I know that the lentils break down a bit and become a little mushier than they once were when I thaw and re-heat the soup.

Since the lentils in this lentil ragu recipe are incorporated into a sauce, I don’t think it will matter much if the lentils break down a little bit more. So, I believe this recipe would be just fine thawed and reheated. However, if I do end up freezing a batch of this sauce, I’ll be sure to come back here and update you on how it went!

If you’re looking for a hearty pasta dish that I know freezes really well, you may want to check out my lasagna with cottage cheese!

One of my family members hates mushrooms. Can I use something else?

Absolutely! Eggplant, zucchini or summer squash all work well in place of the mushrooms in this vegan ragu recipe. Substitute them in the same quantity directly into Step 1 the recipe.

Another option would be to use chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or any other type of bean in place of the mushrooms. I would recommend using canned (drained and rinsed) chickpeas and stirring them in in Step 3.

Can I leave out the wine?

Yes! No worries. Just use an equal amount of water to deglaze the pan in step 2, instead.

Yield: 6 servings