Roasted mushroom ragu with miso and sourdough crumbs

#Ad I partnered up with @madewithmushrooms to create this very deep and flavourful mushroom ragu which gets its flavour from roasting mushrooms, with the addition of white miso paste. This is a must try and believe me, you do not miss the meat at all! 

UK and Ireland’s mushrooms are a great way for you to introduce more vitamin D, and vitamin B into your diet.

Did you know that British and Irish grown mushrooms can be bought all year round in the UK, unlike other veg which is seasonal, making them both good for you and the planet!

Serves 4

250g chestnut closed cup mushrooms, cut in 2-3 cm pieces 

250g white closed cup mushrooms, cut in 2-3 cm pieces

1 white onion, finely chopped 

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 small carrot, finely chopped

1 celery stick, finely chopped

3 bay leaves 

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

500ml water 

2-3 tbsp white miso paste

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce 

100 ml creme fraiche 

1 lemon

70g parmesan, grated 

Handful of chopped parsley 

Salt and pepper to taste

500g pasta 

For the sourdough crumbs 

2 sourdough slices, crust removed

½ garlic clove, grated

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

Pinch of salt 

Method 

Set your oven to 225 degrees. Add all of the mushrooms to a baking sheet and transfer to the oven once it’s hot and roast for 20 minutes, they will shrink and go dark. 

Meanwhile, prep and chop your other veg and start sweating the white onion in a glug of olive oil and a pinch of salt until translucent, about 10 minutes in an oven proof pot. Add the carrots, celery, bay leaves and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, garlic and thyme and cook for a few minutes until soft and jammy. Whisk together the miso paste, worcestershire sauce with 500ml of boiling water until the miso is dissolved, leave to one side. 

Once the mushrooms are roasted, take them out of the oven and turn it down to 180 degrees before adding the mushroom to the pot with the other vegetables. Season with a generous amount of black pepper before adding the miso stock. As the sauce will reduce in the oven, be careful of adding extra salt. Cook covered for 45 minutes then add the creme fraiche and cook uncovered in the oven for another 15 minutes. 

For the crumbs, simply blitz your sourdough in a food processor before crisping them up in a tablespoon of olive oil, once crispy add the garlic, parsley and a pinch of salt. 

Get your pasta water boiling and cook your pasta according to the directions on the packet. 

To assemble, get your ragu out of the oven and add a ladle of pasta water to the sauce, followed by the pasta, parmesan, parsley and the juice and zest of one lemon. Divide the pasta between four bowls or a big serving platter and scatter the crispy crumbs on top.