mushroom ragu

Easy polenta for dinner recipe for a rich and savory portobello mushroom ragu spooned over creamy cheese polenta — a flavor bomb vegetarian main dish!

Easy Mushroom Ragu with Parmesan Polenta

olive oil

shallots (halved lengthwise and thinly sliced)

Kosher salt

mushrooms

garlic (thinly sliced)

rosemary

red chili flakes

tomato paste

balsamic vinegar

vegetable stock

unsalted butter

Parmesan cheese

Parmesan Polenta (Recipe Follows)

Put the olive oil, shallots and a pinch of salt in a large (12-inch) skillet and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are softened, but not browned.

Add the mushrooms to the pan, Cook for about 5 minutes, or until they take on some color, then stir and add 1/2 teaspoon salt (this helps them release their water). Continue cooking until the mushrooms become tender and the liquid evaporates.

Stir in the garlic, rosemary or thyme, chili, tomato paste, vinegar and butter. Add 1/3 cup of the stock or water and stir until the mixture becomes saucy, adding more liquid if needed.

Serve the ragu over Parmesan Polenta with grated Parmesan.

Enjoy this hearty, autumnal pappardelle pasta with fresh rosemary and portobello mushrooms in warm bowls, with a glass of red wine on the side :)

Pappardelle Pasta with Rosemary Portobello Mushroom Sauce

portobello mushroom

pappardelle pasta

garlic (finely sliced)

rosemary leaves

Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan cheese

Put the oil, shallots and a pinch of salt in a large skillet and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are softened, but not browned.

Add the mushrooms to the pan. Cook the mushrooms for a few minutes until they take on some color, then stir and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Continue cooking until the mushrooms become tender and their liquid evaporates.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Cook the pasta until al dente. Scoop out and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.

Add the garlic, rosemary, chili, tomato paste, vinegar and butter to the mushrooms. Add 1/3 cup of the pasta water and stir over medium heat until the mixture becomes saucy. Add the pasta to the pan and toss gently with tongs to coat with the sauce, adding more water if it seems too dry. Taste for seasoning.

Shave curls of Parmigiano cheese over the pasta with a vegetable peeler and serve. 

A quick vegetarian ragù recipe, made with portobello mushrooms, makes a substantial midweek supper.

Quick mushroom and red wine ragù

onion, chopped

large, flat mushrooms,

tomato purée

milliliters red wine

milliliters vegetable stock, hot,

thyme leaves,

Heat the oil in a wide saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the mushrooms. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, until the mushrooms have released some juice.

Uncover and cook for a few minutes to evaporate the juice, then stir in the purée. Cook for 30 seconds, then stir in the red wine. Bubble for a few minutes to reduce by half.

Make up the stock and stir in with a few fresh thyme leaves. Bubble for a few minutes, until reduced a little, then season. Spoon over home-made mash, top with more fresh thyme and serve with steamed broccoli.

This killer Mushroom Ragu recipe is a hearty, savory, robust Italian comfort dish and completely vegetarian! To achieve the richest and earthy mushroom taste, fragrant aromatics like onions and fresh thyme cook in a porcini-infused stock.

Mushroom Ragu: Lidia's Ragu di Funghi Misti

porcini (soaked in 1 1/1 cups warm water)

thyme

sage

olive oil (extra-virgin)

tbsp butter

shallots (finely chopped)

onion (finely chopped (about 1 cup))

(plus

dry Marsala (or other dry red wine)

black pepper

Squeeze out the soaked porcini and slice them into pieces about ¼-inch wide. Strain the soaking water and keep it in a warm spot.

Clean, trim and slice the fresh mushrooms into moderately thin slices, barely ¼-inch wide.

Tie all the fresh herb sprigs together with piece of kitchen twine or enclose the leaves in cheesecloth.

Prepping the Ingredients

Put the oil and butter in the big skillet (or other saucepan) and place over medium heat. When the butter melts, dump in the onions and shallots and ¼ teaspoon of salt and stir well. Heat the onions to a slow sizzle and cook for 6 minutes or more-stirring often-until they&#39;re soft, wilted and shiny, without any browning.

Pour all the mushrooms into the pan-both the chopped porcini and sliced mushrooms-spread and toss them in the pan. Sprinkle another ¼ teaspoon salt, drop in the herb bouquet, toss briefly, raise the heat a bit and cover the pan. Cook covered for about 3 minutes-shake the pan now and then- to sweat the mushrooms.

Uncover and continue to cook over fairly high heat, stirring frequently, as the mushrooms shrink and the liquid evaporates, 5 minutes or more. When the pan is dry and the mushrooms begin to brown, clear a hot spot, drop in the tomato paste and toast it, stirring, for a minute or so, then stir it into the mushrooms.

When everything is sizzling and browning again, and just starting to stick, pour the Marsala all over. Stir constantly as the wine thickens and evaporates. When the mushrooms again start sticking to the bottom, pour in the warm mushroom water and 2 cups of the hot stock. Bring to an active boil, stirring up any caramelization on the pan bottom. Lower the heat to keep the sauce bubbling gently all over the surface and cover the pan. Cook for about 20 minutes, occasionally stirring and adding stock to keep the mushrooms nearly covered in liquid; expect to add ½ cup or so. Adjust the heat to keep the perking steady but not too rapid.

Uncover the pan and cook for another 20 minutes, maintaining the simmer and adding stock as needed. When mushrooms are thoroughly tender and the saucy liquid thickened-but not too condensed-the sauce is done. Remove the herb bouquet and discard it (after you scrape off all the good sauce). Taste and add salt, if needed, and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Use the sauce immediately or let it cool. Store it in the refrigerator for a week or freeze, for use within several months.

Cooking the Sauce

The ragù of your dreams. This hearty and deeply flavorful mushroom ragù moves from the stovetop to the oven, slow-cooking into a hearty, wonderful sauce featuring finely chopped mushrooms, tomatoes, white wine, and aromatics.

Mushroom Ragù

mushrooms,

yellow

celery stalks, finely diced

carrots,

garlic,

red chiles (chile de arbol), stemmed and torn into small pieces

fine grain sea salt

porcini powder

white wine

water

vegetable bouillon cubes or 2 tablespoons homemade bouillon powder

tomatoes

oregano

heavy cream

lemon

Preheat the oven to 250F.

The first thing to do is prepare your mushrooms. You are going to want to chop them very finely. It takes a while to chop them by hand, but you can also use a food processor, working in batches. Don’t go too far with the food processor or you’ll end up with a paste.

In a large oven-safe pot or Dutch oven, Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once it’s hot stir in the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, red chile and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for ten minutes or so. Until the vegetables have softened a bit and the onions are translucent.

Stir in the chopped mushrooms, the porcini powder and allow to cook until the mushrooms release their moisture - 5 minutes or so. Add the wine, water and bouillon. Break up the bouillon if needed and cook for another 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and bring everything up to a simmer. Crush the oregano between your palms into the pot. Then decide if you want to make a creamy version of the ragù and if so, stir in the cream. Taste, adjust the seasoning with more salt if needed and stir in the lemon zest. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1-3 hours, whatever you have time for, ideally until the ragu has thickened and concentrated a bit.

Use immediately (see suggestions in the post above) or allow to cool completely before refrigerating (up to a few days) or freezing (up to a few months).

Absolutely delicious earthy flavours of wild mushrooms combined with a rich tomato sauce and juicy butter beans. Served with ‘Cheesy’ Polenta - yum!

Mushroom &amp; Butter Bean Ragu with ‘Cheesy’ Polenta

leek

garlic

carrot

tbsp white wine

roughly

tsp balsamic vinegar

tsp sea salt

Black pepper

thyme leaves

chilli flakes

butter beans

g instant potenta

tbsp coconut yogurt or cream or plant-based yogurt

tbsp extra virgin olive oil

-1 tsp sea salt

tsp wholegrain mustard

-3 tbsp nutritional yeast–optional

Thyme

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

In a large pan, add the olive oil and leek and fry for 6-7 minutes until very soft.

Add the garlic and carrots and fry for 3-4 minutes.

Now add the mushrooms and white wine, stir to combine and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.

Now add the tomatoes, tomato purée, butter beans, thyme, balsamic, salt and pepper. Simmer for 6-7 minutes until the tomatoes have softened.

To make the ragu

Add the water to a saucepan, bring to the boil.

Slowly add in the polenta to a steady stream. Stir continuously for 1 minute. Turn off the heat.

Allow to cool a little, then add the polenta and all the other ingredients to a food processor and blitz smooth consistency.

To make the polenta

Top the polenta with ragu, sprinkle with thyme and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

To serve

This Creamy Polenta and Mushroom-Tomato Sauce Recipe is one for the regular / easy / healthy dinner rotation! You might not think vegan polenta can be creamy and cheesy, but this recipe is here to prove you wrong! Topped with a savory, but healthy mushroom-kale tomato sauce, this creamy polenta recipe will keep you warm all winter long! 

Vegan Creamy Polenta with Mushroom Ragu

13.5 oz can full fat, unsweetened canned coconut milk

salt

polenta (or medium ground flint corn cornmeal)

yeast

medium yellow onion (sliced thin)

garlic (peeled and crushed)

tsp fennel seeds (crushed with the knife handle to release the oils)

basil

red wine (optional)

28 oz can diced tomatoes

salt & pepper (to taste)

Lacinato kale (washed, destemmed, torn and massaged)

lemon juice

In a small pot, bring the coconut milk and water to a boil. Slowly add the polenta while stirring constantly. Add the salt. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for approximately 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. If the polenta becomes too thick to stir, add additional water. You will likely need to add ~2 additional cups of water. The polenta is done when it is smooth and creamy (not gritty or sand-like). When the right consistency is reached, add the nutritional yeast and additional salt &amp; pepper, if desired. I highly recommend reading my blog post on how to cook polenta. 

Heat a cast iron skillet and add the olive oil. Heat until shimmering. Add the sliced onions and reduce the heat to medium-low. Stirring occasionally, allow the onions to gently brown. About 15-20 minutes. 

Add the garlic and allow to cook until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic. About 1-2 minutes.

Add the fennel seeds, basil, oregano, thyme and tomato paste. Stir until well combined and allow to cook until the tomato paste becomes a dark red. About 2 minutes. 

Add the red wine to deglaze the pan (optional).

Add the mushrooms. Stir until well coated. 

Add the diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes. The sauce should thicken as the liquid from the canned tomatoes cooks off. Season with salt and pepper to taste throughout the simmering process. 

While the ragu is simmering, prepare the kale. I highly recommend massaging the kale before adding it to the ragu, It will make it more tender and less bitter. To massage the kale, crunch the torn leaves with your hands. The kale will become darker and less rigid. With five minutes remaining in the cooking process, add the fresh lemon juice and the massaged kale. 

Serve in small bowls with a bottom layer of polenta. Spoon the mushroom and kale ragu over the polenta. Serve garnished with fresh parsley, vegan parmesan and crushed red pepper. 

I decided to use a mix of dry and fresh mushrooms for this recipe. And only sausage meat. Great combination. But as I mentioned early on, any meat will do.

Mushrooms, Sausage Ragu with Polenta

sausage meat

pancetta (chopped)

Shimeji mushrooms

dry porcini

bay leaves

red wine

carrots

onion

garlic (peeled and hard end removed)

parsley (chopped)

chicken stock

mushrooms soaking water

salt and pepper

cheese

instant polenta

In a heavy large enamel cast iron pot heat the olive oil the garlic over medium heat. Once the garlic is brown, but not burned, remove and discard.

Add the onions, parsley, and carrots, and mix well. When the onions are translucent, add the sausage meat and pancetta, and separate them well with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the tomato paste and mix well.

Cook the meats until all the liquid is evaporated.

Add the bay leaves, red wine, chopped porcini mushrooms, Chinese mushrooms half of the strained mushrooms liquid. Mix well.

The chicken stock is added it to your ragu to keep it moist.

Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Mix well, lower the heat to simmer, cover, and cook stirring occasionally for 1 hour to 1 ½ hours.

Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. Add more wine if too dry. Cook uncovered for another 30 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves before serving.

TO PREPARE THE MUSHROOMS RAGU

Bring the water to a boil. Gradually add the polenta and whisk vigorously to prevent lumps from forming.  Change to a wooden spoon and continue to stir until it becomes thicker, around 6 minutes.

TO MAKE POLENTA

Remove the polenta from the heat and place on a plate or platter. Add the mushrooms ragu over it. Sprinkle a very generous amount of parmesan cheese over it.Serve hot and immediately.

ASSEMBLE

Perfect dish for a cold winter day! I love that you used used to pick mushrooms with your grandmother. What a beautiful memory.

Oh my this looks like the perfect recipe for winter! Adding the polenta is genius!

What a wonderful recipe! Love that you use pancetta, it adds an extra special touch! Simply delicious!

Top 8 mushroom ragu recipes from across the web

The most viewed mushroom ragu recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Easy Mushroom Ragu with Parmesan Po...

Pappardelle Pasta with Rosemary Por...

Quick mushroom and red wine ragù

Mushroom Ragu: Lidia's Ragu di Fung...

Mushroom Ragù

Mushroom & Butter Bean Ragu wit...

Vegan Creamy Polenta with Mushroom ...

Mushrooms, Sausage Ragu with Polent...

Top 8 mushroom ragu recipes from across the web

The most viewed mushroom ragu recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Easy Mushroom Ragu with Parmesan Po...

Pappardelle Pasta with Rosemary Por...

Quick mushroom and red wine ragù

Mushroom Ragu: Lidia's Ragu di Fung...

Mushroom Ragù

Mushroom &amp; Butter Bean Ragu wit...

Vegan Creamy Polenta with Mushroom ...

Mushrooms, Sausage Ragu with Polent...

The most viewed mushroom ragu recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Mushroom & Butter Bean Ragu wit...