Aubergine Ragu with Pappardelle

Pappardelle pasta tossed with rich aubergine ragu and topped with grated cheese and fresh herbs.

5 from 8 votes

Aubergine Ragu with Pappardelle

Whether you call it Aubergine or Eggplant, there is no denying how rich and delicious this slow cooked vegetable ragu is!

Prep Time10

Cook Time4 20

Resting Time45

Total Time5 15

Course: Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 497kcal

Equipment

1 Sharp Knife for chopping vegetables
1 colander
1 Dutch Oven or oven proof casserole dish with lid
1 large pot for cooking pasta
1 Chopping Board

Ingredients

2 aubergines cut into 2cm cubes
2 carrots diced
1 large white onion diced
4 garlic cloves diced
2 celery stalks diced
2 tbsp Worcester Sauce see notes
2 tbsp tomato puree or tomato paste
800 grams peeled plum tomatoes 2 regular tins
120 ml red wine
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
250 ml vegetable stock
500 grams pappardelle pasta or other pasta of your choice
salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Metric - US Measures

Instructions

Dice the aubergine and add to a colander. Sprinkle generously with salt and allow to rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour to draw out the moisture.
Preheat the oven to 160°c/140°c fan/gas 3/320f.
Heat a glug of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add the aubergine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the aubergine begins to brown and you start to see signs of caramelisation.
Add the onions and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until they turn translucent.
Add the carrots, celery, herbs and garlic along with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and continue cooking for another 4-5 minutes.
Stir in the tomato puree, Worcester sauce and sugar then pour in the wine. Allow to simmer gently for 10 minutes then pour in the tinned tomatoes and the vegetable stock.
Bring to the boil, stir well, then put the lid on and place in the preheated oven for 4 hours.
To serve, cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Reserve a cup of pasta cooking water when draining.
Remove the ragu from the oven, give it a good stir and add salt and pepper to taste if needed. Stir in the pasta plus 2-3 tbsp of cooing water and toss. Add more pasta water as required to help the ragu cling to the pasta and create a silky sauce.
Serve with grated pecorino cheese and fresh chopped parsley.

Notes

Worcestershire or Worcester Sauce is commonly made with fish so please check the brand you are using depending on your diet. There are plenty of vegetarian options like the Biona Vegan Worcester and a quick Google search will bring up a lot of recipes to make your own at home. You can also substitute a vegan friendly alternative to Worcestershire like coconut aminos, Henderson's Relish or Soy Sauce.

If you eat fish then you can also substitute 4 anchovy fillets instead - these will melt into the sauce beautifully for that rich, salty umami flavour.

Storage: This recipe will make 6 generous portions of pasta sauce and will store, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days.Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until piping hot and add a splash of pasta cooking water to loosen the reheated ragu.

Freezing: If you are feeding a smaller crowd you can portion it out after cooking and freeze for a quick weeknight dinner. One portion is roughly ⅔ cups or 150ml. This veggie pasta sauce freezes perfectly - defrost overnight in the fridge or using the defrost setting on your microwave.

Nutrition