Simple Mushroom Ragù
Servings:6 servings
This mushroom ragu started as a “what do I do with all these mushrooms?” moment, and turned into an easy favorite! It’s rich, flexible, and made with simple pantry ingredients plus plenty of fresh mushrooms. Serve it with pasta, spoon it over polenta or rice, or scoop it up with toasted bread.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil - divided; see Notes for oil-free
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped - or a sweet variety
- 32 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced - or a variety
- fine sea salt
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme - or rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika - optional
- black pepper - to taste
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup dry red wine - see Notes for subs
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes with basil - or plain
- 1–2 teaspoons sugar - optional
- ¼–½ teaspoon smoked salt - optional, see Notes for subs
For serving:
- 12 ounces dry pasta - or prepared rice, potatoes, etc.
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and a generous pinch of salt. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and all of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.
- Add another 2 tablespoons oil, followed by the garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, paprika, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stirring frequently, cook for 1 minute.
- Add the red wine to the pan and simmer for about 3 minutes, until slightly reduced.
- Add the tomatoes and ½ teaspoon salt. Simmer for 25–30 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and reduced by about half.
- If serving with pasta, while the sauce cooks, boil the pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain in a colander.
- Taste the ragù and adjust seasonings as desired, including the optional sugar and smoked salt, or more salt, pepper, olive oil. Toss the pasta with the sauce and serve. Mushroom ragù is also delicious over rice, polenta, potatoes, or crusty bread.
Notes
Oil/Fat: Ragu tastes best with some kind of fat. If you're avoiding oil, add the mushrooms and onion at the same time (liquid from the mushrooms will prevent sticking), and stir in some cashew cream at the end.
Type and Amount of Mushrooms: I used cremini (baby bella) because that's what I had. They're a good choice since they are usually pretty affordable, easy to find, and are more flavorful than white button. Feel free to use mixed mushrooms or incorporate other varieties you enjoy. It's also fine to reduce the amount of mushrooms.
Wine: Vegetable broth and a splash of balsamic vinegar may be used instead of red wine.
Flavorful Additions: A splash of soy sauce or tamari are a good swap for the smoked salt. A little miso dissolved in warm water is another easy way to add umami and saltiness to the ragu.
Store leftover mushroom ragù in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Fiber: 6g
