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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.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine British, Italian
Servings 8

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.
Keyword Aubergine, courgette, garlic, leeks, lentils, Nuts, onions, peppers, Spinach