Mushroom Ragù

A deeply savory mushroom ragù, made from fresh and dried mushrooms, is just as home on polenta as it is with pasta.

Daniel Gritzer

Updated October 04, 2023

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Two bowls filled with pasta and mushroom ragù. — Serious Eats / Melissa Hom

In This Recipe

Why It Works

A mixture of fresh and dried mushrooms provides an abundance of different textures and deep mushroom flavor.
A splash of white wine adds a touch of brightness to the sauce, while the dried-mushroom steeping liquid layers in even more flavor.

This deeply flavorful sauce, made from both fresh and dry mushrooms, tomatoes, white wine, and aromatic vegetables, is so hearty, you won't believe it contains no meat. It's delicious on pasta or polenta.

May 2015

Recipe Details

Mushroom Ragù Recipe

Active 60 mins

Total 2 hrs

Serves 10 to 12 servings

Makes 2 quarts sauce

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Ingredients

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
3 pounds 8 ounces mixed fresh mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake, hen of the woods, and oyster
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, minced (see notes)
1 large carrot, minced (see notes)
15 medium cloves garlic, minced (see notes)
1 cup dry white wine
1 (15-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed with juices
4 sprigs thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a medium heatproof mixing bowl, combine dried porcini with 2 cups boiling water and let stand 15 minutes. Meanwhile, wash fresh mushrooms and discard any woody stems, such as on cremini and shiitake mushrooms (or save stems for making mushroom or vegetable stock). Thinly slice mushrooms (in the case of hen of the woods mushrooms, tear by hand into thin strips).
Serious Eats / Melissa Hom
Lift rehydrated dried mushrooms from soaking liquid and squeeze to remove excess liquid; fine-strain soaking liquid and reserve.
Serious Eats / Melissa Hom
In a large pot, heat oil over high heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrot, and garlic, and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown on bottom of pot, about 6 minutes. Add fresh and soaked dried mushrooms and cook, stirring and scraping bottom of pot, until they release their water and begin to brown on bottom of pot, about 10 minutes. Continue cooking, scraping bottom of pot and making sure to reach into corners, until it becomes difficult to scrape up browned bits and they threaten to burn, about 15 minutes longer. Add wine, scraping up browned bits on bottom of pot. Add tomatoes, dried-mushroom soaking liquid, and thyme.
Serious Eats / Melissa Hom
Lower heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often and scraping bottom of pot to prevent scorching, until mushroom sauce has thickened and no wateriness remains, 1-2 hours. Discard thyme stems. Season with salt and pepper. Mushroom ragù can be served on pasta or with polenta. Keep refrigerated for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
Serious Eats / Melissa Hom

Special Equipment

Large pot

Notes

For speed, feel free to mince the carrot, onions, and garlic together in a food processor.

Skip the Pasta and Make Lasagna With Polenta Instead

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
104	Calories
5g	Fat
13g	Carbs
4g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10 to 12
Amount per serving
Calories	104
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g	7%
Saturated Fat 1g	4%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 129mg	6%
Total Carbohydrate 13g	5%
Dietary Fiber 3g	10%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 6mg	32%
Calcium 52mg	4%
Iron 1mg	6%
Potassium 795mg	17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)