Inspired by Bianca Zapatka's recipe, we whipped up this vegan ragu with added veggies, tomatoes, spices and lentils to a huge saucepan. Once it all simmered down, the result was amazing. This is definitely one of the best vegan ragus out there.
Pictures don't do this recipe justice, it's:
- Rich
- Flavourful
- Warming
- Super-satisfying
This is one of those dishes you could serve to meat eaters to convince them that plant-based foods can be just as satiating.
The lentils lend a ton of protein, and the endless list of veggies in here make it an undeniably healthy meal.
How Long Does This Vegan Red Lentil Ragu Take?
This ragu isn't super intensive. It's basically chopping a lot of veggies and then waiting for them to cook.
With that being said, the lentils do take some time to soften, and you want to allow time for the veggies to absorb all the delicious flavours of the sauce.
Depending on your lentils, it can take anywhere from 30-45 minutes for them to soften completely.
What Type of Pasta Should I Serve the Ragu With?
For this, we used a thick, round rigatoni but you could really use whatever suits your fancy.
While it would work with any pasta, we'd strongly recommend sticking to a tube or spiral shape. You want something for the sauce to cling onto, as it is quite chunky and thick. A spiral or penne are good rigatoni alternatives for this.
Print📖 Recipe
Vegan Red Lentil Ragu
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 people 1x
Description
This delicious vegan red lentil ragu is inanely delicious and packed full of healthy veggies. Rich and hearty, it's the perfect winter meal.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil (extra virgin)
- 3 ribs celery (diced)
- 2 medium white onions (diced)
- 2 large carrots (grated)
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 4 cups white mushrooms (sliced)
- 4 fresh tomatoes (diced)
- 1 can diced tomatoes (400g)
- 2 cups veggie broth
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp thyme (dried)
- ½-1 tablespoon oregano (dried)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- chilli flakes (to taste)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup split red lentils
- ½ cup red wine (optional)
- 500 g rigatoni pasta
- fresh basil (to taste)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in the biggest saucepan you have over medium heat. You will be adding a lot of veggies, so the bigger the pan, the better.
- Once oil is warm, add the diced celery, onions, and carrots. Cook until the veggies begin to brighten, 2-3 mins.
- Add the mined garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 2 mins.
- Add mushrooms and cook until soft, but not yet brown, about 3 mins.
- Add fresh tomatoes, the can of diced tomatoes, veggie broth and balsamic vinegar, and bring to a boil.
- Once the sauce is boiling, add bay leaves, thyme, oregano, paprika, chilli flakes and salt. Let simmer for a few minutes, until the sauce becomes fragrant.
- Reduce heat to low and add the red lentils and red wine. Cover the saucepan with a lid and allow everything to simmer, mixing occasionally until the veggies are cooked through and the lentils are softened, about 30-45 minutes. Keep an eye on the sauce, adding more water as needed as the lentils absorb the liquid (I added about 1 cup extra).
- While the sauce is cooking, heavily salt a large pot of water and bring it to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water, and drain. Coat with olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking together while waiting for the sauce to finish.
- Once the sauce is ready, carefully add the cooked rigatoni into the saucepan. Stir carefully, so as not to break the pasta. Add pasta water as you go to help the sauce slick up and coat the pasta. Taste to adjust seasonings, adding more salt for depth and more chilli for spice as needed. Serve topped with fresh basil.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Bianca Zapatka's Mushroom & Lentil Ragu.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Australian
Nutrition
- Calories: 624
- Fat: 11
- Carbohydrates: 104.4
- Protein: 24.1
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Abe says
Too much oregano... Try with half that amount
Simply Fresh Foodie says
Hi Abe, thanks for commenting. We think you're right - 1 Tbsp might be too much for some. We've adjusted the recipe to now recommend 1/2-1 tbsp so that everyone start with less and adjust based on their preferences.
lindsey says
LOVE. always good to have extra protein.