Vegetarian ragù alla Bolognese

Exploring Culinary Creativity: Crafting Seasonal Dishes and Vegetarian Twists.

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, crafting a variety of dishes that change with the season. 

During the high season – spring, summer and fall –  ( spring,summer …fall), the cooking classes take up much of my time. 

Fresh pasta becomes the star of my workdays, along with desserts and plenty of vegetables. It’s a type of cuisine that looks to tradition, leaving room for the most iconic dishes of Italian culinary tradition, yet it’s modern and attentive to new needs. 

Each recipe carries a narrative, reflecting family stories and the essence of our region. 

I strive to simplify cooking techniques, making them accessible to my guests so they can recreate the experience in their own homes. A fundamental aspect of my work.

During the same period, there’s also the work of being a Private Chef. 

This is somewhat my playground, the most creative part. 

These dishes reflect my personal background, the culmination of years of learning, and my culinary philosophy.

During the quiter time, part of the work involves developing recipes for companies. 

It’s a more complex job than one might think, where creativity is as important as the ability to interpret and respect the clients’ requests.

Finally, there’s cooking outside of work. 

Here, food mainly becomes nourishment for family and friends. 

The kitchen is my safe haven on complicated days. It’s the time for experimenting with new recipes to propose, for studying, and growing.

This is just to tell you that my days in the kitchen are always different. 

It can sometimes be challenging to gauge how appealing a personal, familiar recipe might be to my customers as well.

Discover my journey through Italian traditions and innovative recipes.

Last week, I shared a photo on Instagram featuring small jars of vegetable ragù I prepared for my daughter. 

She recently moved away for studies and yes I’m the kind of mom who stocks up her daughter’s fridge and pantry

Several people wrote to me asking for the recipe. I never would have thought that a vegetarian version of a famous Italian sauce would garner so much interest. 

My daughter Aurora, vegetarian since 3 years, has always loved Bolognese ragù and lasagna.

About one years ago I started working on a vegetarian version of the famous Bolognese ragù that was equally delicious and rich, with a significant protein content.

For my first attempt, I used lentils.

I started with the fundamental  “ Soffritto” , sauté of carrot, celery, and onion, to which I added the lentils. I then continued with red wine, tomato sauce. I cooked for about 1 hour.

The result was good, but the flavor of the lentils was definitely distinctive.

A good sauce based on lentils, but not a Bolognese ragù.

I then decided to rely on dehydrated soy.

I thought its delicate, almost neutral taste would blend well with the various flavors.

So, onto the second attempt. Again, slowly cooked sauté vegetables in extra virgin olive oil, then the soy, wine, tomato… and so on.

Better, definitely better. But something was still missing.

Something to make the sauce richer and lacking the umami taste of meat. 

So, I decided to add some dried mushrooms to the soffritto, and to find the umami in the tomato paste and… in the soy sauce. The choice of this last ingredient made the difference. Finally, to give the sauce a bit of creaminess, I dissolve two teaspoons of wheat starch in a little less than half a glass of water and add it 5 minutes before the end of cooking.

I find this versione really delicious and satisfying. 

Try my vegetarian ragù alla Bolognese and more on the blog

I used the vegetarian ragù for homemade tagliatelle or for a lasagna with béchamel and Parmesan cheese. I assure you that the omnivores did not regret the meat. 

No matter if you are vegetarian/vegan or not, I suggest you to try this recipe. 

Put on your apron, you are ready to cook!

You can find more vegetarian recipes on the related blog section here