Pappardelle al Ragu with Mushrooms
A comforting meal of vegan pappardelle al ragu with a delicious tomato based tempeh and mushroom sauce.
Pappardelle is one of my favorite pastas to feast on but it is often made with eggs. I discovered Trader Joe’s had vegan friendly pappardelle pasta and decided to test it out with a tomato based ragu made with tempeh and mushrooms. If you are looking for more comforting vegan pasta dishes, check out my bolognese pasta bake recipe.
How to make a vegan ragu with mushrooms and tempeh
A ragu and a bolognese sauce are pretty similar. They are both typically slow cooked tomato based sauces with shredded meat but a bolognese usually contains a dairy component that makes it creamy. While ragus are typically meat based sauces, we can still enjoy the same flavors by creating a sugo finto or a vegetarian version of the ragu. This vegan ragu recipe is made with mushrooms for an umami kick and tempeh for a meatless high protein substitute. If you have time I recommend simmering the sauce for an hour but this recipe only instructs you to cook the sauce for 30 minutes.
Key ingredients & substitutions for pappardelle al ragu with mushrooms
- tempeh – I like to use tempeh as my protein for a nutty high protein meatless option but you can also use lentils or imitation ground meat such as beyond meat
- pappardelle pasta – you technically don’t have to use pappardelle pasta but it is great if you want a really satisfying chunky pasta to bite into. Pappardelle pasta is usually made with eggs but you can find vegan options made with semolina wheat. Ragu is versatile and can be served with pretty much any carb! I’ve eaten this with both rice and noodles such as spaghetti
- mushrooms – I like to use cremini mushrooms in stews because they retain a crunchy texture when cooked in stews and the flavors are mild and goes well with tomato based sauces. You can use any mushrooms such as white mushrooms or shitake.
Pappardelle al Ragu with Mushrooms
Pin this RecipeEquipment
- 1 Dutch Oven or Pot
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 large carrot
- 3 stalks of celery
- 8 oz cremini mushroms can substitute with any mushrooms
- 8 oz tempeh
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ¼ cup dry red wine optional
- 16 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- ¼ tsp salt
- 8-12 oz pappardelle pasta see notes above for vegan options
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables. Dice the yellow onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Slice the mushrooms. Crumble up the block of tempeh with your hands so that they are in small chunks.
- Cook the ragu. Heat a medium size dutch oven over medium heat and add olive oil. Allow the olive oil to heat up before adding the diced yellow onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté the vegetables to cook down and the onions to become translucent, around 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Cook the ragu. Add the tomato paste and thyme, stir well so that the vegetables are coated with the paste and spices and cook for another minute. The bottom of the pan may start to caramelize. Add the dry red wine to deglaze the bottom of the pot, gently scrapping the burnt pieces and incorporating it back into the sauce
- Cook the ragu. Add the canned tomato, vegetable broth, and tempeh. Increase the heat to high so that the sauce is boiling before bringing it back down to low for a simmer. Add in the bay leaf. Cover the dutch oven and allow the ragu to simmer on low for 20 minutes.Note: cook for even longer if you have time for more flavor! Sometimes I'll let this cook for 40 minutes.
- Cook the ragu. Add in the mushrooms and cover again to cook for another 10 minutes. While this is cooking you can follow the instructions on your pappardelle pasta and cook the pasta.
- Serve. Add salt and the balsamic vinegar to increase the intensity of the ragu. Top off with some fresh sliced basil and fresh cracked black pepper.Note: if your ragu appears too watery you can let it simmer longer with the lid off and allow the sauce to reduce. If your ragu appears too dry you can add more vegetable broth.
