Charred Vegetable Ragu Recipe With Pasta Is How to Eat Those Vegetables by Jan Mostrom

This pasta recipe with charred vegetable ragu is such a wonderful way to incorporate lots of vegetables into your meal without too much effort. The charring of the vegetables occurs under the broiler (or on the grill). Then the vegetables are placed into a food processor to make a chunky sauce that is rich and filling when ladled over pasta or another grain.

I love to have some of this leftover to freeze and use on busy nights when I haven’t had a chance to plan anything for dinner. Just defrost and you have a wonderful Italian-inspired dinner anytime. And, if you don’t have one of the vegetables or spices, just use what you have and I bet it will still be delicious.

Here is your shopping list for this healthy vegetarian recipe: portobello mushrooms, garlic, yellow onion, celery, cremini mushrooms, olive oil, tomato paste, dried oregano, red wine, salt and black pepper, pasta and Parmesan cheese. Lots of healthy ingredients! Check out the health benefits of mushrooms, the health benefits of onion, the health benefits of celery and the health benefits of garlic. 

Serve the high-protein and high-fiber vegetable ragu with pasta for dinner with your favorite side dishes. So good!

Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 4 large portobello mushrooms, stemmed and cut into 4 or 6 pieces
• 1 garlic head
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into wedges
• 3 celery stalks, cut into thirds
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into thirds
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
• 8 ounces fresh cremini mushrooms, stemmed and quartered (use a different variety if you can’t find these)
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 ounces uncooked pasta (I used tagliatelle pasta)
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated

Here's how to make it: 

1. Move your oven rack to about 6 to 8 inches from the heat source and turn the oven to broil. Place a piece of parchment paper on a large baking rack and add portobellos, carrots, onion, garlic head (the whole head in the peel) and celery. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over them. Toss the vegetables and place under the broiler for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the vegetables and the pan halfway through. You want to have a good char on the vegetables. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
   
2. While you wait for the vegetables to cool, add the cremini mushrooms to a food processor and chop. Add the cooled vegetables, squeezing out the garlic from the cloves, to the food processor. Pulse until they are finely chopped, about four to five pulses. Set to the side.
   
3. Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil with a large pinch of salt. Place a deep, large skillet on the stove top with 3 tablespoons of oil on medium-high heat. Add the cremini mushrooms and sauté for about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often until the mushrooms are browned all over. Add the tomato paste and oregano and stir for another minute.
   
4. Pour in the wine, stirring often for another minute. Add the chopped vegetables into the skillet with a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste to see if more seasoning is needed. Turn off heat.
   
5. Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to the directions for al dente. When cooked, drain and reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water. (To make this gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta.)
   
6. Add the pasta into the sauce and turn the heat back to medium.
   
7. Add the Parmesan (reserving a bit to sprinkle on top) and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and stir. (For a vegan dinner, use vegan Parmesan cheese or omit it.)
   
8. Add the reserved pasta water, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until the sauce becomes creamy. Taste to see if more salt is needed. Serve in bowls with a sprinkle of Parmesan and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in the microwave.
   

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

Take 30 seconds and join the 30Seconds community, and follow us on Facebook to get recipes in your newsfeed daily. Food, fun, health, happiness.