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This comforting Italian-inspired vegan ragu pasta features a rich red wine tomato sauce with juicy chunks of jackfruit for a super meaty texture! It’s simple to make, plant-based, and requires just 1 pot and 40 minutes!
If you are looking for a quick and flavorful pasta recipe to make for dinner, you are going to love this one! It’s garlicky, packed with tomato flavor, extra saucy, and so satisfying!
📘 What Is Ragu
A ragu (or Ragù) refers to an Italian pasta sauce that is prepared with meat and sautéed vegetables. It is typically made with tomatoes but can include wine, broth, and/or milk to add flavor and creaminess.
In this ragu noodle recipe, we are swapping the beef for tender and meaty jackfruit!
🥣 How to Make It
This recipe requires basic ingredients and just one pot. Here is what you will need:
- Garlic and shallot – For a sharp and sweet flavor. Fan of garlic? Add an extra 2 cloves of garlic near the end of cooking!
- Jackfruit – We are using jackfruit as a substitute for beef. Make sure you are using young green jackfruit, not the ripe one.
- Soy sauce – For saltiness and umami. You can use coconut aminos if you want to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Carrots and celery
- Crushed tomatoes – For this recipe, I went with canned crushed tomatoes, but feel free to use fresh ripe ones!
- Red wine – It adds a depth of flavor to the sauce, bringing some acidity and slightly fruity notes.
- Thyme and bay leaves – To add an herby aroma to the sauce.
- Pasta – Most types of pasta will work here, so don’t stress it out if you don’t have fettuccine on hand. You can definitely use pappardelle, spaghetti, or short pasta types like penne or fusilli. It’s equally delicious!
Start by sautéing the garlic and shallots until fragrant. Next, add the jackfruit and deglaze with the soy sauce.
Note: You do not have to shred the jackfruit completely, I personally like to leave some larger chunks for a meatier texture. The jackfruit will soak up the sauce and become super tender!
Once the jackfruit has absorbed the soy sauce, add the rest of the ingredients: diced carrots, celery, and crushed tomatoes. Season with salt, sugar, bay leaves, thyme, and ground black pepper. I also added some crushed red pepper flakes for a little heat.
Pour in the red wine and water, and cover the pot with its lid. Let simmer for about 30 minutes over low-medium heat.
Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings to taste. Depending on the brand of crushed tomatoes used, you might have to add an extra pinch of salt.
Finally, cook the pasta and transfer to the tomato sauce. Stir to coat, and serve topped with chopped basil or parsley and vegan parmesan!
💬 FAQ
Yes, you can prepare the sauce a day or two in advance. However, I recommend cooking the pasta just before serving.
You can use shredded vegan chicken, oyster mushrooms, or rehydrated TVP chunks.
This ragu will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat over medium heat, stirring regularly.
This pasta is cozy, comforting and can definitely be enjoyed year-round! It’s perfect for a weeknight family dinner but will also be great for an intimate dinner!
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Vegan Ragu Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 14-oz can young green jackfruit drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 14-oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 carrot finely diced
- 1/3 cup diced celery
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp salt adjust to taste
- 2/3 cup red wine
- 1 cup water
- 7 ounces dried fettuccine pasta Feel free to use gluten-free pasta.
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or medium stockpot over medium heat. Once hot, add the minced garlic and shallots. Cook for about 2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Slightly shred about half of the jackfruit chunks with your hands. Add the shredded jackfruit and the remaining whole jackfruit chunks to the Dutch oven. Pour in the soy sauce and cook for 1 minute, stirring regularly.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, carrots, celery, sugar, bay leaves, thyme, ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt.
- Pour in the red wine and the water. Cover the Dutch oven with the lid and let simmer for 25-30 minutes, giving it a stir halfway through cooking. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, making sure the sauce is salty enough.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the dry fettuccine and cook according to the package instructions. Once cooked, drain the pasta and transfer to the Dutch oven. Stir to coat the pasta with the sauce.
- Serve immediately topped with chopped basil (or parsley) and a sprinkle of vegan parmesan!
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
Leave a Comment
It ‘s an excellent vegan ragu. Thank you !
Glad you liked it Tommy!
I can’t believe how good this recipe is! Thank you! I’d love to come back to your blog again to try other recipes! 🙂
Thanks for your feedback Yuki 😉