Vegetable Ragu - 3 Guiding Stars
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Three Guiding Stars icon Three Guiding Stars indicate the best nutritional value.

A ragu is a slow-cooked tomato sauce that’s wonderful for a slow weekend dinner. Start it mid-morning and let it cook all day. Your house will smell amazing, and your taste buds will thank you come dinnertime.

Ingredients

  • 2½ lbs. eggplant
  • ½ cup olive oil, divided
  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 1 large carrots, finely diced
  • 3 lbs. mushrooms, finely diced
  • 12 oz. beer
  • 6 cloves garlic, sliced
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 2 (28 oz.) cans no-salt-added whole tomatoes
  • 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Drizzle whole eggplants with half of the oil, wrap in foil, and place on a baking sheet. Roast until eggplants are thoroughly soft, 1 hour, and remove eggplants. Lower oven temperature to 350ºF.
  2. When eggplants are cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh into a bowl.
  3. While the eggplant roasts, set a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat and heat the oil. Add the onion and carrot to the pan and cook until very soft, 15-20 minutes.
  4. Raise heat to medium and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until all of the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are thoroughly browned, 30-45 minutes.
  5. Stir in beer and garlic and simmer until liquid has evaporated.
  6. Stir in the tomato paste and pepper flakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
  7. Add the eggplant, the tomatoes and their juices, soy sauce and bay leaves. Transfer pan to the 350ºF oven and roast, uncovered, for 2-4 hours.
  8. Stir in the balsamic vinegar just before serving and serve hot over pasta or polenta.
Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 265; Total Fat 15g (19% Daily Value); Saturated Fat 2g (10% DV); Trans Fat 0g; Cholesterol 0mg (0% DV); Sodium 265mg (12% DV); Total Carbohydrate 28g (10% DV); Dietary Fiber 9.5g (32% DV); Total Sugars 14g; Includes 0g Added Sugars (0% DV); Protein 10g; Vitamin D 0% DV; Calcium 8% DV; Iron 15% DV; Potassium 30% DV; Thiamin 120% DV; Biotin 90% DV; Copper 90% DV.
Recipe by Guiding Stars at https://guidingstars.com/recipes/vegetable-ragu/
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