A ragù is traditionally an Italian meat based sauce that's most commonly served with pasta. This version replaces the meat with mushrooms for an incredibly rich and versatile meatless ragù that can be spooned over pasta, potatoes, polenta, or eggs.

Or, use it to make the most incredible mushroom pizza and white mushroom lasagna. Add mushroom ragu to soups or stews, spread over bread or toast, tuck it into homemade ravioli or flatbread, and spread over sandwiches.

In short, mushroom ragù is a mushroom lovers dream and the possibilities are endless here friends.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ alittleandlot.com

Recipe Mushroom Ragu

This recipe was originally published on alittleandalot.com. For more detailed instructions, please see the original recipe ---> Mushroom Ragu

Ingredients

• 1 ounce dried porcini or shiitake mushrooms
• 1 pound white button, cremini, or portobello mushrooms
• ⅓ cup (66 grams) + 2 tablespoons (25 grams) extra virgin olive oil, divided
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Base (see links below for recommended varieties)
• ½ cup (75 grams) diced shallot or yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon sumac (or lemon zest)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ½ to 1 ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1 cup (236 ml) dry or off-dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

Instructions

• Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl and pour 2 cups boiling water over them. Let the mushrooms soak for 30 minutes, while you prepare the other ingredients.
• Place a rack on the top third of your oven and preheat it to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Cover the bottom or a rimmed baking sheet with a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper.
• Use a damp paper towel to gently clean the fresh mushrooms. Slice them into ¼-inch slices then chop the slices into pieces that are roughly the size of a pea or a bean. Spread the chopped mushrooms out on the baking sheet, drizzle with ⅓ cup olive oil, and sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir the mushrooms, olive oil, and salt around on the baking sheet, then spread them out in an even layer. Roast the mushrooms in the oven until they are dark, well-reduced, and slightly crisp, about 35 minutes.
• Line a strainer with cheesecloth or paper towels and set it over a bowl. Pour the dried mushrooms and their soaking liquid into the strainer. Use your fingers to squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer to extract all the flavorful juices. Measure out 1 cup of the soaking liquid and stir the Better Than Bouillon base into the soaking liquid. Set aside.
• If using shiitakes, cut away and discard the stems. Chop the softened dried mushrooms into pieces that are about the same size as the chopped fresh mushrooms.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the diced shallots to a large, heavy skillet or cast iron braiser (see link below). Set it over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the shallots are soft and translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste, minced garlic, sumac, cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper to the pan with the shallots. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute longer to open up the flavor of the spices.
• Pour in the wine and cook, stirring every now and then, until nearly all the liquid has evaporated.
• Add all the mushrooms and the reserved mushroom soaking liquid to the pan. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid has reduced by a little more than half. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if you like.

Notes

Regardless of how I'm using this ragù (scroll up for a list of ways to use it), I generally like to drizzle it with some truffle oil and sprinkled with a handful chopped fresh Italian parsley or other fresh herbs.

Mushroom ragù freezes well (scroll up for more information about storing the ragù) so every time I make this I try to make extra just so I can tuck some into the freezer for another day.

5 Ways to Use Mushroom Ragu

1. Quick and easy mushroom and cheese stuffed flatbread: These pockets of cheesy deliciousness can be filled with anything your heart desires but in the photo you see here, they were stuffed with mozzarella cheese and mushroom ragu and wowwowwow they were SO good,
2. Three cheese mushroom pizza with truffle oil: This is the kind of pizza you make when self care means an evening at home tucked in with rich and cozy, deeply comforting, simple-meets-decadent, cheesy, saucy mushrooms on a soft and chewy homemade pizza crust dripping with truffle oil and roasted garlic.
3. Creamy mushroom pasta: Love is the way I feel about this plate full of creamy, cheesy, saucy, perfectly cooked pasta and roasted mushrooms topped with plenty of cracked pepper and fresh herbs.
4. White mushroom lasagna: This creamy, flavorful meatless lasagna is made with layers of pasta, velvety parmesan béchamel, rich and savory mushroom ragù, and melted parmesan cheese. This is 100% comfort food and eating a plateful is like giving yourself a gigantic hug.
5. Mushroom ragu and crispy fried potatoes: A bowl of crispy fried potatoes topped with mushroom ragù is seriously one of our favorite meals. Give me this every day all day, especially drizzled with truffle oil, and call me a happy camper because that's exactly what I'll be.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ alittleandlot.com

For more of my recipes, visit alittleandalot.com and ofbatteranddough.com.

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