Another week has passed and it’s Recipe Sunday! And today’s recipe is one by the LazyCatKitchen. I love them, their recipes are amazing and the results are always pure deliciousness so when I saw the recipe for this ragu I just had to make it. I know these days are hotter, but we still need comfort food and this is what you need, trust me. Lately, I had it with vegan ravioli and the time before that I had it with homemade gnocchi. Next time (which will be very soon for sure!) I’ll have it with tagliatelle. Se here’s the recipe!

INGREDIENTS

• 15 g dried porcini (optional) or mushroom stock cube
• 300 g oyster mushrooms
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari if GF), divided
• 2 tsp smoked paprika, divided
• 6 tsp tomato paste / concentrate / purée, divided
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely diced
• ¼ tsp ground cumin (cinnamon or nutmeg is also delicious)
• a good pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
• 2 sprigs rosemary, leaves chopped finely
• 4 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
• 2 carrots, very finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, very finely diced
• 180 ml / ¾ cup vegan red wine
• 360 ml / 1½ cups tomato passata
• 2 dry bay leaves
• 50 g / ½ cup walnuts, chopped
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp sugar (optional), adjust to taste

METHOD

1. Soak the dried porcini in 2 cups of boiling water until they soften (or use a mushroom stock cube dissolved in boiling water instead)
2. Preheat the oven to 200° C / 390° F (or 20° C / 70° F less with a fan) and grab a large baking tray.
3. Cut the ough bits off the mushroom stems, then tear the mushrooms into strips starting from the cap. Chop mushroom strips into a dice.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, soy sauce, smoked paprika, tomato puree and nutritional yeast (a sprinkle of garlic powder is also nice). Mix well and coat chopped mushrooms in this mixture. Leave the mushrooms to marinate for just a few minutes up to a few hours.
5. Spread mushrooms on a baking tray and bake for about 10 minutes, give them a good stir and bake for a further 10-15 minutes.
6. While the mushrooms are baking, heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add diced onion, sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, then add the chopped garlic and sauté for about 2-3 minutes (until it softens and becomes fragrant), stirring frequently.
7. Season, add the remaining teaspoon of smoked paprika, cumin, chilli and chopped herbs. Stir well to coat, then add carrots and celery dice. Sauté for a few minutes before adding wine. Allow the wine to cook off before adding tomato passata.
8. Rinse rehydrated porcini under the tap to ensure there is no grit in them, dice very finely and add to the pan togeter with mushroom stock taking care not to tip in the grit that settles at the bottom.
9. Add tomato passata, the rest of the tomato paste, soy sauce and bay leaves. Reduce the sauce (lid off) on a low heat for about 20 minutes. Give it a stir from time to time.
10. Stir in chopped walnuts and baked oyster mushrooms. Taste, adjust the seasoning if needed. For best flavour, store the sauce in the fridge overnight for the flavours to meld.

Enjoy it with pasta, gnocchi or ravioli: you’ll love it! It’s so tasty yet the flavour goes well with also those more delicate foods like ravioli and gnocchi.

I hope you’ll make it and find it as great as I do.

Have a lovely Sunday!

LOve,

TVCL xx