Quick and Easy Vegan Ragu Recipe

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

16 ounces pasta (or 4 1/2 cups cooked polenta)

12 ounces eggplant ((about 1 medium) ), cut into about 2-inch pieces)

2 cups dried red lentils

1 large yellow onion (small dice)

4 cloves garlic (minced)

4 cups vegetable broth (preferably low sodium)

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (jarred and preserved in oil)

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons harissa

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives (rinsed)

4 cloves garlic

1 large lemon (juice)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or to taste)

1 teaspoon maple syrup (or to taste)

1 cup walnut pieces (finely chopped, optional)

1 1/2 cups water (or pasta cooking water)

Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

1/4 cup chopped parsley (for garnish)

Directions

Cook the pasta, or a grain of your choice, according to the directions on the packet. If using pasta, reserve 1 ½ cups of the pasta cooking water when draining.

Chop the eggplant: Transfer the eggplant to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. You may need to do this in batches.

Cook the lentils and eggplant: Combine the eggplant, red lentils, onion, garlic, and broth in a large skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked, adding more broth or water as needed to keep the lentils submerged in liquid.

Make the sauce: Meanwhile, in the same food processor as the eggplant, blitz the sauce ingredients. Combine the sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, harissa, olives, garlic, lemon juice, sun-dried tomatoes, crushed red pepper, olives, and maple syrup.

Combine: Transfer the sauce ingredients to the cooked eggplant and lentil mixture. Add 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, or plain water and stir to incorporate. Cook until warmed through, adding more water or oil from the sun-dried tomatoes, as needed until the desired consistency.

Add walnuts, if using. Mix well to fully incorporate.

Season with pepper and adjust maple syrup to taste. Garnish with parsley. Serve with pasta, polenta, or a grain of your choice.

Nutrition

• Calories: 591 kcal
• Total Fat: 3 g
• Saturated Fat: 1 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
• Sodium: 258 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 117 g
• Dietary Fiber: 25 g
• Total Sugars: 15 g
• Protein: 32 g