September Recipes: Mushroom Ragu and Polenta

Felicity Vincent
Sep 13, 2024
4 min read

A cosy recipe for the start of darker evenings.

There's nothing like mushroom ragu to get depth of flavour, umami, richness and comfort from a vegan sauce. It's perfect in pasta but I also love this on warm cheesy polenta.

Give this easy vegan mushroom ragu recipe a go. A perfect Sunday recipe to leave bubbling on the hob for a comforting dinner during the colder months.

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Ingredients (serves 4):

Mushroom ragu recipe:

300g mixed mushrooms (including button and oyster mushrooms if possible)
30g dried porcini mushrooms
1 white onion
1 carrot
1 celery
3 garlic cloves
8g thyme
250mL red wine
1 tin of tomatoes
Sea salt
1 Tbs rapeseed oil

Cheesy polenta recipe:

180g polenta
920mL milk
70g parmesan
20g butter
Sea salt

Method:

How to make my easy mushroom ragu recipe:

Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a heat-proof jug and cover with 500mL of boiling water. Leave to rehydrate while you prep the rest.
Brush the dirt off the mushrooms using a clean dry sponge. Cut them up into quarter or bite-sized pieces, tear the oyster mushrooms into small filaments. This will mimic the texture of slow cooked meat.
Peel the onion, carrot and celery then dice them up as small as you can.
Sweat the mushrooms off in a dry saucepan for 6 minutes on medium heat. Then add 1 Tbs of oil and leave them to caramelise for 2 minutes.
Once the mushrooms have browned, add the diced onion, carrot and celery and let them sweat off for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add the crushed garlic cloves, thyme sprigs and deglaze the pan with the red wine.
Let the wine reduce for 5 minutes, then pour in the tinned tomatoes and dried porcini mushrooms (including the soaking water).
Bring the ragu to a boil, then reduce the heat down to a simmer. Cover the saucepan and leave on the heat for at least an hour.
Stir into pasta or serve on top of mash or polenta. Dig in and enjoy, bon appétit!

How to make my cheesy polenta recipe:

In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil.
Reduce down to a simmer then slowly sprinkle the polenta in while continuously stirring.
Keep stirring it on the hob for 5 minutes as it thickens.
Add the butter and grated parmesan, then stir it in.
Either serve up while it's hot or leave it to solidify in a dish and slice it up to serve.

More about this mushroom ragu recipe:

Shortcuts:

The longer the ragu simmers away the deeper the flavour, if you are short on time you can cook it for 30 minutes only, just bear in mind leaving it longer will take it to the next level.

Keys to success:

Oyster mushrooms are key to getting a satisfying texture, similar to slow cooked meat that falls off the bone.
Any umami additions are welcome: cheese rinds, marmite, or Worcestershire sauce.

Health benefits of oyster mushrooms:

They're a good source of:

vitamin B2 - which is needed to transform food into energy, support the nervous system and maintain healthy vision and skin;
Phosphorous - which is needed to transform food into energy, and maintain healthy bones and teeth;
Manganese - which is needed for energy and cell health;

Aside from the above, oyster mushrooms also contain other active compounds:

Phenolic chlorogenic acid - an antioxidant which therefore scavenges free radicals, reducing oxidative stress, reducing the risk of certain cancers, cardiovascular diseases and physical signs of ageing. Chlorogenic acid also has strong anti-inflammatory properties which contribute to brain and heart health. Early studies show promising affects on type 2 diabetes symptoms and preventing strokes.
Phenolic gallic acid - an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties which has also been shown to support heart health.
Phenolic naringenin - Aside from its antioxidant properties, it has also been shown to block pain caused by inflammation.
Polysaccharide beta-glucan - Beta-glucans are a prebiotic fibre, meaning they reach the lower intestine and are fermented by our gut bacteria which in turn produce short-chain fatty acids that reduce LDL cholesterol production. They also slow the release of energy from food therefore reducing blood sugar levels. Maintaining a healthy collection of gut bacteria also in time has positive impacts on our health and mood.
Amino acid ergothioneine - has antioxidant and cytoprotective properties, acting as an anti-inflammatory and supporting cell health.

These all may contribute to anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic and hepatoprotective properties.

Finally, mushrooms are a non-animal source of vitamin D. If they are sufficiently exposed to UV rays from lamps or sun, they will produce vitamin D which supports bone, teeth and muscle health. It is also necessary for the function of our thyroid gland which in turn regulates hormones. Low amounts may lead in part to low mood and lethargy.

Mood Food - Focus:

B vitamins - being low may lead to lethargy and feeling tired;

Polyphenols - support brain health and slow down neuro-degeneration;

Manganese - is required for brain signalling, supports improved cognition and reduced risk of neuro-degeneration;

Beta-glucans - help to maintain steady blood sugar levels and a prolonged release of energy from food for body and brain;

Hopefully this makes you excited to try this and many other oyster mushroom recipes during its season!

You can find lots of ideas on how to cook with mushrooms in my newsletter: https://felicityvincent.substack.com/

Full Video:

Cook along with this step-by-step video and learn how to make my easy mushroom ragu recipe.

Photos: