Veggie Ragu with 16 Plants
Packed full of 16 different plants and easy to batch cook this veggie ragu makes a great accompaniment to pasta, a perfect lasagne sauce, base for a veggie shepherds pie or jacket potato topping. You can vary the vegetables depending on what you have - it's a great way to use up bits of vegetables in the fridge! It always tastes better the next day, or after it has sat for a few hours. It also freezes very well so is a great batch cook option.
Equipment
- 1 Chopping Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 large frying pan
- 1 spatula/wooden spoon
- 1 Measuring Jug
Ingredients
- 2 aubergines
- 2 red or yellow peppers
- 1 courgette
- 1 leek
- 2 onions
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 3 sticks celery
- 250 grams mushrooms roughly chopped
- 1 400g tin green lentils
- 250 ml passata (or chopped tomatoes)
- 150 ml wine
- 240 grams baby spinach roughly chopped
- 100 grams nuts (eg walnuts, pecans, chestnuts) very finely chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 stock cube
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 tsp mixed herbs
- 4 bay leaves
- salt and pepper
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Chop aubergines, peppers and courgettes into small chunks and place in a roasting tray. Drizzle with 1tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper and 1tsp mixed herbs. Toss to combine then roast at 200C for around 30 minutes until golden and softened.
- Meanwhile, chop the onions, leek and celery finely. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the onions, leek and celery until softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring well. Then add the mushrooms and fry for a few minutes until softened.
- Add the wine, pasta, herbs, bay leaves, nuts, lentils (including the liquid from the tin), soy, balsamic, salt, pepper and stock cube and enough water to make a ragu-like consistency. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Once the roasted vegetables are ready, add them to the ragu and stir well then finally add the baby spinach. Stir well and allow the spinach to wilt.
- Simmer for a few minutes then the ragu is ready to serve.
