Description
This hearty Mushroom Ragu recipe is a savory, rich, and thick sauce made from sautéed mushrooms, aromatic vegetables, and herbs, served over fettuccine pasta. It delivers layered flavors with the umami of mushrooms combined with tomato paste and balsamic vinegar, perfect for a satisfying vegetarian dinner in just 35 minutes.
Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
- 1 large stalk celery, coarsely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- ½ teaspoon rosemary
- 3 bay leaves
- ½ cup tomato paste (thick, in tube or small can)
- 2 pounds mushrooms (1 pound white mushrooms, 1 pound brown mushrooms), coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, or more to taste
- 10 fresh basil leaves
Pasta
- 12 ounces fettuccine pasta
- Parmesan cheese, grated or shaved (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables: Coarsely chop the mushrooms with a knife or pulse in a food processor in batches and set aside. Similarly, coarsely chop the onion, carrots, and celery either by knife or pulsing briefly in a food processor.
- Make the flavor base: Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add garlic and seasonings: Stir in the grated garlic, rosemary, bay leaves, and tomato paste. Continue to sauté for about 3 minutes until the tomato paste darkens and the mixture is fragrant and well combined.
- Add mushrooms and cook down: Add the chopped mushrooms to the pan, season with salt and black pepper, and cook over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally until all the moisture from the mushrooms has evaporated and the sauce is thick and almost creamy.
- Finish the ragu: Stir in the balsamic vinegar, then turn off the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and vinegar if needed to achieve a rich and savory flavor.
- Cook pasta: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the fettuccine according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve one cup of pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Add the drained pasta to the pan with the mushroom ragu along with ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss over medium heat for a few seconds until the pasta is well coated and the sauce clings evenly.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh basil leaves, a drizzle of olive oil, and optionally grated or shaved Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately for a comforting vegetarian meal.
Notes
- Use a mix of white and brown mushrooms for depth of flavor.
- Pulsing mushrooms in a food processor saves prep time but avoid over-processing to keep texture.
- Adjust the amount of balsamic vinegar and salt to your taste for balance.
- Reserve pasta water to help bind and loosen the sauce as needed.
- Parmesan cheese is optional and adds a nice umami boost if not vegan.
