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Rich Walnut Ragu Recipe

This recipe is rated 4.6 out of 5.

Gluten-free option

Protein-packed

Soy-free option

Refined sugar free

Freshly Picked

Easy peasy

Comfort food

Lazy dinners

Main meals
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A plate of spaghetti with tomato-based sauce and hearty plant-based ragù, topped with fresh basil and surrounded by olive oil on a white plate.
A close-up of spaghetti topped with tomato plant-based meat sauce, vegan cheese, and fresh basil, drizzled with olive oil—perfect for cosy romantic recipes at home.

When it comes to Italian cooking, you can put your trust in Nadia Fragnito to do it properly. Here, she harnesses the complexity of the mighty walnut to create a rich, melt-in-your-mouth ragu that hits the spot in a big way.

You will need

Serves 4

  • 2 cups walnuts
  • 1 1/2 slices of bread, broken into pieces, approximately 60g (Nadia uses day-old ciabatta but use gluten-free option if required)
  • 1 tablespoon stock powder (Nadia uses plant-based beef-style stock)
  • 1/2 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke
  • Handful of fresh parsley
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 700g good quality tomato passata or diced canned tomatoes
  • Few basil leaves (optional)
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
  • 500g dried or fresh fettuccine or pappardelle pasta (gluten-free if required)

To serve

  • Extra basil leaves
  • Vegan parmesan cheese (store bought, or make Nadia's easy homemade parmesan!)

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Directions

10 mins to prep

  1. Step 1

    Add the walnuts, bread, stock powder, garlic, liquid smoke and parsley into a food processor and process until it resembles a medium-fine crumb.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frypan. Fry the walnut mince for a few minutes until it’s starting to brown. Stir through the tomato passata and basil, and simmer on low for 20 minutes, stirring often.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente.

  4. Step 4

    Before turning off the heat, check the ragu for seasonings, adding salt and cracked black pepper to taste.

  5. Step 5

    Stir the cooked pasta through the walnut ragu, adding a dash of reserved pasta cooking water if more liquid is needed for the sauce. Taste and season with salt and cracked black pepper to taste.

  6. Step 6

    Serve with a sprinkling of vegan parmesan cheese and a generous drizzle of olive oil.

Hot tip!

If you’d prefer a chunkier mince, your ragu will turn out a little crunchy in texture. To avoid this, you can soak walnuts overnight beforehand to soften.

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