epicurious5.0
Charred Vegetable Ragù
This sauce is slightly magical. The texture cloaks pasta much like a traditional meat sauce does, and the flavors are deep and rich, but it's actually vegan!
👥 12 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 2h 30m👤 Joshua McFadden📖 epicurious
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●bowl
- ●oven
- ●pan
- ●food processor
- ●knife
- ●dutch oven
- ●spatula
📝 Preparation Steps
1
If you’re using ½ oz. (15 g) dried porcini mushrooms, put them in a small bowl, cover with hot water, and soak until softened, ⏱️ 20 minutes–⏱️ 1 hour. Gently wring out the softened mushrooms and chop finely. Set aside.
2
Heat the oven to 500°F (260°C) or as hot as you can get it without setting off your smoke alarm.
3
Arrange 6 oz. (170 g) carrots (about 2 medium), cut into 2" (5-cm) chunks, 6 oz. (170 g) celery (about 2 large stalks), peeled if fibrous and cut into 2" (5-cm) chunks, 6 oz. (170 g) fennel (1 small bulb), trimmed, cored, and cut into 1" (2.5-cm) wedges, 1 large onion (about 10 oz./280 g), cut into thick slices, and 12 oz. (340 g) crimini mushrooms (or a mix of other mushrooms), stems removed, on two sheet pans in a single layer. Arrange 8 oz. (225 g) Tuscan kale (1 large bunch), thick stems cut or ripped out, on a separate sheet pan. Drizzle all the vegetables with extra-virgin olive oil and flip them all around so they’re lightly and evenly coated with oil. Cook the vegetables in the hot oven until they are charred in spots and around the edges, 10–⏱️ 15 minutes for the kale, 20–⏱️ 35 minutes for the other vegetables. You’re cooking the kale separately to avoid crowding the oven and creating too much moisture, which would inhibit the charring. Let the vegetables cool.
large onion (about 10 oz./280 g), cut into thick slices1(240 ml) dry red wine1 cupExtra-virgin olive oil
4
Working in batches, pulse the vegetables in a food processor (or chop with a chef’s knife) until they are in small bits. You want the texture to be varied, but with pieces no smaller than ¼" (6 mm) and no larger than about ⅓" (8 mm).
5
Heat ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven or large high-sided sauté pan over medium heat. Add 4 or 5 garlic cloves, smashed, and gently cook, breaking it up with your spatula, until it’s soft and fragrant and starting to toast but not browned, 4–⏱️ 5 minutes.
Extra-virgin olive oil(240 ml) dry red wine1 cupor 5 garlic cloves, smashed4
6
Add ¼ cup (60 g) tomato paste, spreading it into a thin layer on the surface of the pan, and cook until it’s darkened and slightly toasted, about ⏱️ 2 minutes.
7
Add the chopped vegetables, chopped porcini (if using), 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary, 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme, 1 Tbsp. kosher salt (preferably Diamond Crystal), and ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high, add 1 cup (240 ml) dry red wine, and simmer until it has reduced by half, 3–⏱️ 4 minutes (it might be hard to see the wine, but use your best judgment).
. (170 g) carrots (about 2 medium), cut into 2" (5-cm) chunks6 oz. (170 g) celery (about 2 large stalks), peeled if fibrous and cut into 2" (5-cm) chunks6 oz. (170 g) fennel (1 small bulb), trimmed, cored, and cut into 1" (2.5-cm) wedges6 oz. (340 g) crimini mushrooms (or a mix of other mushrooms), stems removed12 oz. (225 g) Tuscan kale (1 large bunch), thick stems cut or ripped out8 oz. chopped fresh rosemary1 Tbsp(240 ml) dry red wine1 cup. chopped fresh thyme1 Tbsp. kosher salt (preferably Diamond Crystal), plus more to taste1 Tbsp
8
Add one 28-oz. (794 g) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand, with their juices, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook, stirring frequently, until the ragu is nicely thick and concentrated in flavor, about ⏱️ 45 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt or pepper as needed.
9
Let the ragù cool completely, then divide it into 1-cup (250 g) portions (enough to sauce 8 oz./225 g dried noodles, or two servings). Use now (the ragù will last for up to 5 days in the refrigerator) or freeze for up to 4 months.
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