Name: Vegan Shredded Eggplant Ragu (GF)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 eggplants (aubergine), halved; 1 tablespoon oil ((olive, coconut, rapeseed or vegetable)); 1 onion, diced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 celery stick, diced; 1 carrot, peeled and diced; 1 teaspoon sweet paprika; 1 teaspoon dried oregano ((or sub dried rosemary or a couple of bay leaves)); 60 ml (1/4 cup) red wine ((ensure vegan/gluten-free if necessary)); 15 g (0.5oz) dried porcini mushrooms - soaked, rinsed and finely chopped; 6 sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped; 230 ml (1 cup) tinned tomatoes; 1 vegetable stock cube ((ensure gluten-free if necessary)); 1 teaspoon date syrup ((or sub any other sweetener)); 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar ((or sub apple cider vinegar)); Salt + pepper, to taste; 400 g (14oz) tin of green lentils, drained and rinsed; 4 portions pasta ((ensure gluten-free if necessary)); Fresh basil or fresh parsley; Nutritional yeast

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This Vegan Shredded Eggplant Ragu is the perfect healthy way to warm up on a chilly autumn evening.

After discovering the magic that is shredded eggplant (aubergine) when I made this “Pulled Pork” Burger, I was keen to experiment with different ways of using it.

I started thinking about making a ragu-type pasta sauce with shredded eggplant in place of shredded beef brisket…and it worked so well! The meaty flavour and tender yet slightly chewy texture of shredded roasted eggplant is perfect!

I also added some green lentils for protein and extra meatiness – you can either cook your own from scratch or use tinned lentils.

I have several secrets to making a delicious meat-free ragu:

Start with a base of onion, garlic, celery and carrot (also known as a soffritto) and make sure to fry these until they’re softened and fragrant
Add some red wine and cook for a couple of minutes until all the wine disappears – this will get rid of any acidic taste and just leaves you with a delicious aroma
Add some paprika for a little smokiness and dried oregano (or some other woody herb such as dried rosemary or some bay leaves also work)
Porcini mushrooms add a rich, meaty flavour that’s almost magical
Sundried tomatoes add extra flavour – bonus points if you throw in a couple of teaspoonfuls of the oil from the jar
Date syrup (or you can use any other sweetener) adds a little background sweetness
Balsamic vinegar (or apple cider vinegar) adds a little tang
Time and patience – you definitely have to leave the sauce to simmer for at least half an hour! This really isn’t a dish to make in hurry on a hungry Tuesday evening at 8pm, save it for a leisurely Sunday afternoon instead

Then all you need to do with this Vegan Shredded Eggplant Ragu is to serve it up over a big pile of your favourite pasta! Or, you could also serve this over some mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes, or even baked sweet potatoes.

I also like to sprinkle over some nutritional yeast for cheesiness and serve it alongside some salad leaves and juicy cherry tomatoes and crunchy, sweet red peppers.

For more delicious vegan pasta recipes, check out my:

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

Helpful tools to make this Vegan Shredded Eggplant Ragu:

rectangular baking tray

baking paper

measuring jug