This delicious pulled aubergine ragu is both healthy and comforting. Despite it being 100% meat-free, it’s rich, hearty and full of flavour. You simply stir pulled aubergine through a rich, homemade tomato sauce, which you then toss with your favourite pasta. If you have a gas hob, I recommend charring the aubergines directly over the flames. This makes them nice and smoky, which adds huge depth of flavour to the ragu. If you don’t have a gas burner, don’t worry; you can simply roast the aubergines instead.
Table of Contents
- Ingredient Breakdown
- This Pulled Aubergine Ragu Isn’t Technically a Ragu
- Aubergines Are Surprisingly Meaty
- How to ‘Pull’ Aubergines
- Making A Delicious Ragu Base
- Parmesan Rind: Optional But Highly Recommended
- The Perfect Pasta Pairing For This Pulled Aubergine Ragu
- More Aubergine Love
Ingredient Breakdown
- Aubergines (aka eggplants): The star of the show. A whole roasted or charred aubergine is truly a beautiful thing and it works especially well as the base of this meat-free ragu.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Used for sautéing the sofrito and adding richness to the sauce.
- Onion, Carrot, Celery: Aka the sofrito. These form the aromatic base of the sauce, providing depth of flavour and a touch of sweetness.
- Garlic: Garlic makes everything better and this recipe calls for lots of it.
- Double Concentrated Tomato Purée: Intensifies the tomato flavour and adds sweetness.
- Crushed Tinned Tomatoes: The main body of the sauce, providing a robust tomato base.
- Stock Pot: Enhances the flavour of the sauce. I’ve used a Knorr white wine stock pot, which adds a subtle wine flavour, but any will do.
- Calabrian Chilli Oil: Optional, but adds a nice kick of heat.
- Parmesan Rind: Also optional, but highly recommended as it adds lots of umami depth to the sauce. Note: if used, this recipe is no longer vegetarian/vegan.
- Fresh Basil Leaves: Adds a fresh, herbal note to the finished sauce.
This Pulled Aubergine Ragu Isn’t Technically a Ragu
Traditionally, ragu is a meat-based sauce. There are lots of different types of ragus across Italy–from the famous ragu alla bolognese to lesser known ones like ragu alla barese or ragu napoletano–but they all contain some form of meat. That said, you can apply the principles and cooking techniques of a traditional ragu to make a veg-based version that is just as delicious.
Despite being 100% meat-free, this pulled aubergine ragu is rich, hearty and full of flavour, in large part thanks to the charred aubergines, which are surprisingly meaty. Combined with the robust tomato sauce, they create a rich ragu that is reminiscent of a traditional meat-based one. It’s a wonderful example of how plant-based ingredients can be used to create comforting, flavourful dishes that are just as satisfying as their meaty counterparts.
Aubergines Are Surprisingly Meaty
Aubergines (aka eggplants) take on a rich, smoky flavour when charred or roasted. They also develop a meaty texture, which is what makes this pulled aubergine ragu so satisfying. For this recipe: the aubergines can be cooked in one of two ways:
- Gas Hob Method: Charring the aubergines directly over a gas burner gives them a smoky flavour that adds huge depth of flavour to the ragu. This method is also quicker.
- Oven Roasting: If you don’t have a gas burner, roasting the aubergines in the oven is a great alternative. Prick them all over with a fork or paring knife to prevent them from exploding in the oven, then roast until they are completely tender. This method still provides a delicious result, though the smoky flavour will be much more subtle.
How to ‘Pull’ Aubergines
Once the aubergines are charred or roasted, it’s time to pull them:
- Steam and Cool: Transfer the cooked aubergines to a large bowl, cover with cling film, and leave to steam for 10 to 15 minutes. This both makes them easier to handle and helps the skin release from the flesh.
- Peel: Carefully remove the skins. They should come off easily after steaming.
- Pull: Use two forks to pull the flesh into strands, similar to pulled meat.
- Season and Drain: Generously season the pulled aubergine with salt and let it drain in a sieve for 5 minutes. This step is crucial to remove excess moisture and concentrate the flavour.
Making A Delicious Ragu Base
The rich, homemade tomato sauce is the backbone of this dish. Here’s how you make it:
- Sauté the Vegetables: Begin by sautéing finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery. This classic sofrito adds a depth of flavour and sweetness to the sauce.
- Add Garlic and Tomato Purée: Garlic provides an aromatic base, while tomato purée intensifies the tomato flavour and adds another layer of sweetness, which cuts through the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Simmer with Crushed Tomatoes and Stock: Adding crushed tinned tomatoes and a stock pot ensures a robust, well-rounded sauce.
- Slow Cook: Allowing the sauce to simmer for 35 to 45 minutes helps all the flavours to meld together, resulting in a rich and thick sauce.
Parmesan Rind: Optional But Highly Recommended
Adding a parmesan rind to your simmering ragu is a great, zero-waste way of adding umami and depth of flavour. As the rind simmers, it releases a subtle, nutty and umami richness that deepens the overall flavour profile of the sauce. However, please note that if you want to keep this dish vegan.vegetarian, you must omit the parmesan rind as parmesan is generally made with animal rennet.
Top tip: if you’re not vegan/vegetarian: store your parmesan rinds in a resealable freezer bag. Pop them into stocks, soups and sauces for added umami richness.
The Perfect Pasta Pairing For This Pulled Aubergine Ragu
Choosing the right pasta can make a big difference in this dish. Here are some of my favourite options:
- Tagliatelle or pappardelle: the long, wide strips hold up well to the hearty sauce.
- Rigatoni or paccheri: these tubular pastas capture the sauce perfectly.
- Spaghetti: A classic choice that works well with most sauces.
More Aubergine Love
If you loved this pulled aubergine ragu, here are some other aubergine recipes that you might enjoy:
- Roasted Garlic Baba Ganoush: A rich, creamy, and smoky aubergine dip with lots of roasted garlic.
- Sticky Harissa Aubergine: Harissa glazed aubergines, served with whipped tahini and garlicky yoghurt.
- Crispy Aubergine Puttanesca: Crispy breaded aubergine, paired with a chunky puttanesca sauce.
- Burnt Aubergine Rigatoni: Pasta tossed in a cheesy, charred aubergine sauce. Delicious!
- Aubergine and Tomato Pasta: A delicious vegan pasta dish that even the most avid of meat eaters will love. The sauce combines rosemary roasted aubergine with a tasty tomato sauce.
Pulled Aubergine Ragu
This delicious pulled aubergine ragu is both healthy and comforting. Despite it being 100% meat-free, it’s rich, hearty and full of flavour. You simply stir pulled aubergine through a rich, homemade tomato sauce, which you then toss with your favourite pasta.
If you have a gas hob, I recommend charring the aubergines directly over the flames. This makes them nice and smoky, which adds huge depth of flavour to the ragu. If you don’t have a gas burner, don’t worry; you can simply roast the aubergines instead.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 4 aubergines
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, very finely chopped or coarsely grated
- 1 large carrot, very finely chopped or coarsely grated
- 1 celery stalk, very finely chopped or coarsely grated
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp double concentrated tomato purée
- 2 x 400g tin good-quality crushed tinned tomatoes
- 400ml water (fill the empty tin with the water and swirl around to use up everything in the tin)
- 2 stock pots (I used the Knorr white wine stock pot)
- ½ tsp calabrian chilli oil, optional
- 1 parmesan rind, optional (if using, this recipe is no longer vegetarian or vegan)
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
- to serve: cooked pasta and parmesan cheese
Instructions
Oven Method
- Heat your oven to 220℃ / fan 200℃ and line a small baking tray with foil.
- Prick the aubergines all over with a fork or paring knife – this will ensure they don’t explode in the oven.
- Place the aubergines on the foil-lined baking tray. Roast, flipping once halfway through, for 40 to 45 minutes, or until completely tender.
- Meanwhile, heat a splash of extra-virgin olive oil in a medium saucepan set over a medium heat.
- Add the onion, carrot and celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 10 minutes, or until softened.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring almost constantly, for 1 minute, then add the double concentrated tomato purée and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to darken, around 2 minutes.
- Add the tinned tomatoes, water, stock pot, calabrian chilli oil (if using) and parmesan rind (if using). Season with salt and pepper, stir to combine and turn the heat up to medium-high.
- Once simmering, turn the heat down to low/medium low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 35 to 40 minutes, or until thickened.
- Back to the aubergines. Once roasted, transfer to a large bowl, cover with cling film and leave to steam for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cool enough to handle.
- Peel off and discard the skins, then pull the flesh with 2 forks. Season with a big pinch of salt, then transfer to a sieve to drain for 5 minutes to draw out some (but not all!) of the moisture.
- Add the aubergine to the sauce and mix to combine and simmer for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to mingle.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir through the fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. To serve, toss with your favourite pasta, top with grated parmesan and enjoy.
Gas Hob Method
- For this method, you want to start with the sauce, as the aubergines cook much faster. Heat a splash of extra-virgin olive oil in a medium saucepan set over a medium heat.
- Add the onion, carrot and celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 10 minutes, or until softened.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring almost constantly, for 1 minute, then add the double concentrated tomato purée and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to darken, around 2 minutes.
- Add the tinned tomatoes, water, stock pot, calabrian chilli oil (if using) and parmesan rind (if using). Season with salt and pepper, stir to combine and turn the heat up to medium-high.
- Once simmering, turn the heat down to low/medium low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 35 to 40 minutes, or until thickened.
- Meanwhile, place the aubergines directly over a gas burner set to medium-high. Cook, turning frequently, until completely blackened and collapsing, around 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a bowl, cover with cling film and leave to steam for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cool enough to handle.
- Carefully remove the burnt skins – they won’t peel off as easily as with roasted aubergines so please be patient. Pull the aubergine flesh with 2 forks and season with a big pinch of salt. Transfer to a sieve to drain for 5 minutes to draw out some (but not all!) of the moisture, then transfer to a bowl to set aside until the sauce is cooked.
- Add the aubergine to the sauce and mix to combine and simmer for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to mingle.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir through the fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. To serve, toss with your favourite pasta, top with grated parmesan and enjoy.
Hi Zena, this recipe looks amazing! Have been loving so many things from your site, thanks for sharing all 🙂 Just one question, about how much pasta should I cook for this recipe, would you say about 300g dried pasta should be okay or what is the best pasta/sauce ratio? Thanks!
Hi Nora! Thank you so much 🙂 this sauce is enough for 400g of pasta – or 300g if you like it super saucy!