This post may contain affiliate links.
Veggie Ragu is a healthy comfort meal, packed full of veggies and nutrients. Ready in under 30 minutes. Meat eaters love this recipe and it’s kid friendly. The ragu texture is hearty and textured so you won’t be missing the traditional meat in this recipe.
Table of Contents
Why Make This Veggie Ragu
It is packed full of veggies, so you know you are getting nutrients in your meal.This recipe is allergy friendly, can be made vegan, dairy free, and gluten-free if you use gluten-free noodles.
This veggie ragu is easy to meal prep for the week and a great way to use up leftover veggies in the fridge. I love the meaty texture it has, without the added fat from meat. Your family won’t notice the difference.
Ingredients Needed
Pasta Sauce. You can certainly make your own, but I like to save some time and energy by adding in a nice organic jar of my favorite pasta sauce. The added seasonings in this recipe will make it taste homemade, trust me.
Pasta. Any shape and size works. I use pappardelle, the thick noodles hold the meaty, textured sauce perfectly.
All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations
Pasta. Use any pasta shape OR ditch the pasta and spread this veggie ragu over bread, like my Overnight Bread. You can also stuff the mix into peppers and bake it for a low carb option!
Veggies. Although this combination and variation works best for textures and flavor, you can also use red bell peppers, eggplant or zucchini in addition to the others listed.
Pasta Sauce. Marinara or Butternut pasta sauce will also work great!
How To Make This Recipe
Step One. Roughly chop all the veggies, carrots, celery, mushrooms. Chop the carrots a bit smaller than everything else and add to a food processor or blender.
Step Two. The carrots tend to have a rough time chopping in the blender or food processor so you may need to chop a few by hand if they don’t blend up. Use the pulse option on your appliance. Try not to over blend, we want the veggies to have some texture.
Step Three. Add oil to a skillet. Add in blended veggies. Mix in spices, seasonings and sauté until everything it tender, test with a fork.
Step Four. Add in the pasta sauce. Simmer for about 3 minutes and add in cooked noodles. I like to add in 1/4 cup of pasta water or veggie broth here, it thins the sauce a bit and it spreads out more evenly.
Step Five. Let it simmer together for another 3 minutes. Add in Parmesan if you are using. Serve hot and enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze these for up to 2 months.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes, veggie ragu can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. This makes it a convenient option for meal prepping or for busy weeknight dinners.
Besides pasta, you can use veggie ragu as a topping for baked potatoes, as a filling for stuffed peppers or mushrooms, or as a sauce for vegetable lasagna. It’s a versatile sauce that can be used in various vegetarian and vegan dishes.
Recipe Tips
If you don’t have a food processor or high speed blender, just finely chop the veggies. It will still turn out fantastic but will have more texture to it.
Add a little pinch of red wine for extra flavor. Not required but a little red wine makes everything a littler better 😉 I had 2 Tbsp if I have it on hand.
If you want to add meat, this recipe would be wonderful with ground beef, venison or ground turkey. You would want to brown it for a few minutes before adding in the veggies to sauté.
Recipe Pairings
This is a hearty meal when paired with pasta. It is also great with my Garlic Rolls or a nice salad like Lemon Kale Salad.
Other Pasta Meals To Try
If you loved this recipe let me know! Also, follow me on Instagram & Pinterest for even more fun recipes to make you feel good from the inside out. Thanks for being here.
Veggie Ragu
Equipment
- large pot for boiling water
Ingredients
- 8-10 oz pappardelle, see notes*
- 1½ cup carrots, chopped
- 1 cup celery, quartered, about 2 stalks
- 1 small red bell pepper
- 3 cups mushrooms
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup onion, chopped,
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp oregano
- 1 tsp rosemary
- 4-5 cups pasta sauce
- ½-1 cup pasta water, to thin and spread the sauce
- ¼ cup parmesan , *more for topping
Instructions
- Roughly chop all the veggies: carrots, celery, onions, bell pepper mushrooms. Chop the carrots a bit smaller than everything else and add to a food processor or blender.If you don't have the above appliances, chop by hand into little bite sized pieces to resemble a meaty texture.
- The carrots tend to have a rough time chopping in the blender or food processor so you may need to chop a few by hand if they don't blend up. Use the pulse option on your appliance. Try not to over blend, we want the veggies to have some texture.
- Add oil to a skillet. Add in blended veggies. Mix in spices, seasonings and sauté until everything it tender, test with a fork.
- Add in the pasta sauce. Simmer for about 3 minutes and add in cooked noodles and parmesan. I like to add in 1/4 cup of pasta water or veggie broth a little at a time to thin the sauce a bit and it spreads out more evenly.
- Let it simmer together for another 3 minutes. Add in cheese if you are using. Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Loved this recipe. My meat eater boyfriend even enjoyed it, which surprised me with the carrots being in it. Great recipe.
Really good!
The best ragu I ever made was when I was sick once and threw every vegetable I had left in the house into a pot. This is super similar and now I’m so psyched to make it again – thanks for the reminder! x
Love hearing that!!! And thanks for coming back to let me know you enjoyed the recipe. Makes me so happy!