Vegetable sauce, a light condiment but with great flavor that can be a valid alternative to the classic meat ragù. We can use the vegetarian sauce to dress classic pasta and prepare baked pasta. It always requires a rather long cooking time, at least a couple of hours to blend all the flavors. Start with a good sauté of onion, garlic, celery, and carrot, adding a pinch of chili pepper. I like to flavor it halfway through cooking with bay leaves. It does not contain soy or similar because it does not want to be a ragù nor the classic quick sauce, you will smell such a good aroma spreading in the kitchen during cooking.
Since I started making this vegetarian sauce, I must say that our life has been simplified, because especially during the holidays there is always some vegetarian around, and with this sauce, we can cook the same dish for everyone. No one missed the ragù while eating lasagna, crepes, or classic fettuccine.
For those who want to reconcile good food with the new needs of a more plant-based menu, I also recall other recipes
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 99.26 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 13.61 (g) of which sugars 1.27 (g)
- Proteins 2.31 (g)
- Fat 4.16 (g) of which saturated 0.60 (g)of which unsaturated 0.36 (g)
- Fibers 2.65 (g)
- Sodium 318.39 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
The ingredients that make up this vegetarian sauce are really simple and present in most Italian kitchens, so you can prepare it anytime.
- 1 onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 carrot
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- to taste chili pepper
- to taste coarse salt
- 42 oz tomato pulp
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 leaves bay leaf
Tools
To make the vegetarian sauce, it is important to mince the flavors for the sauté, so I recommend a good smooth-bladed chef’s knife and a cutting board; for cooking, a new stone pot that allows the use of few fats in cooking is useful.
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Cookware
Preparation
The preparation of the sauce is not difficult, it just requires a bit of patience for the cooking, which must be slow and prolonged.
With this vegetarian sauce, we can prepare many good dishes that we usually make with meat ragù, making it an excellent alternative for our vegetarian guests or simply to slightly reduce animal protein consumption
Clean and wash the onion, garlic, celery, and carrot well. With the help of a good smooth-bladed knife and a cutting board, chop them into the smallest and most even possible pieces. Place all the chopped aromas in the pot, add the oil and chili pepper, and sauté over medium heat, cover the pot with the lid, and stir occasionally to brown the aromas evenly.
When they are well crispy, deglaze with the white wine, increase the burner flame, and let the wine evaporate without the lid. Once the wine has reduced, add the tomato pulp.
Now season the sauce with coarse salt, add the sugar, the bay leaf, and cover the pot with the lid, bring to a boil with the burner flame quite high. Once the sauce reaches a boil, slightly open the lid leaving a small slit so as not to let the sauce escape when it simmers, lower the flame and cook for about two hours, stirring occasionally.
NOTES
The vegetable sauce has many uses, it keeps well for three days in the refrigerator, but you can also freeze it in small glass jars and have it ready when needed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can the prepared sauce be frozen?
Yes, you can safely freeze it; I recommend using small glass jars so it will be quick to microwave and have it available for any occasion.
Can I replace the bay leaf?
The bay leaf gives this sauce a strong, decisive flavor, but if you do not like this spice, you can easily replace it with basil.
