Hearty mushrooms, aromatic garlic, and sweet fennel simmer slowly on the stove, their flavors deepening and mingling with white wine and cream to forge a rich, complex mushroom ragù. Served alongside pasta or polenta, it's a perfect meal for a dinner party or romantic date night. It's a great vegetarian sauce for vegetarians and omnivores alike!
I absolutely love ragù! Traditionally, a ragù consists of a meat-based sauce served with pasta. That sauce is usually made of vegetables, cooked down until soft and caramelized, then simmered with meat in liquid, like wine, stock, or dairy. The long-simmering process helps develop a complex flavor.
However, I only eat meat once a week, so I adapted my typical ragù recipe to a vegetarian version. As a result, this creamy vegetarian ragù has a nice meatiness from the mushrooms, while the fennel, garlic, and onions are aromatic and sweet.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's incredibly popular. This mushroom ragù recipe is one of my reader *favorite* recipes!
- It's delicious. The combination of earthy mushrooms, wine, cream, and lots of flavor enhancers like parmesan rinds, soy sauce, and aromatics make this a dish you'll never forget.
- It's well-balanced. The mushroom flavors are enhanced rather than diminished by choosing cream instead of the customary tomato base for the ragù.
For more pasta recipes, try my lemon pesto, slow-braised lamb ragu, or quick mushroom pappardelle.
Ingredient Notes
Fresh Mushrooms: I like using a mix of fresh wild mushrooms and cultivated varieties, such as maitake, oyster, and shiitake. You can also use cremini or baby bellas, but avoid white button mushrooms, which won't provide enough flavor.
Dried mushrooms, like porcini or shiitake, will also work well as long as they're rehydrated before use.
Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese: I use a rind of parmesan and some freshly grated cheese for the most flavor! Parmesan rinds are lovely for soups and stews, too, so I often freeze them in a Ziploc bag for up to a year.
Mushroom Broth: Use a porcini broth or mushroom bouillon to bring out the mushroom-y flavors. For mushroom bouillon, I like Better than Bouillon or Bauer's Porcini Stock.
TIP: You can make a quick porcini-infused stock by soaking dried porcini mushrooms in hot water, covered, for 20 - 30 minutes. Strain the stock, and chop up the rehydrated mushrooms to saute with the rest of the mushrooms.
Pasta: This dish benefits from high-quality fresh pasta or dried pasta! I recommend homemade pappardelle, tagliatelle (my Kitchenaid pasta recipe has the details!), or even ricotta gnocchi or homemade potato gnocchi.
Swaps and Substitutions
- Aromatics: I personally love the combination of mushroom and fennel, but if you're not a fan or don't have fennel at home, here are some other options. Try substituting the fennel for celery or carrots in colder weather and leeks in the spring.
- Meat: Saute 4 - 6 ounces crumbled hot Italian sausage with the mushrooms.
- Herbs: Add a sprig of fresh thyme or rosemary in the winter for an earthy flavor.
- Polenta: Swap out the pasta and serve the ragù over my creamy mascarpone polenta.
For a full list of ingredients and quantities, refer to the recipe card.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1 - Saute the aromatics: Heat extra-virgin olive oil and butter in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add fennel, onion, and garlic cloves, and saute for 8 - 10 minutes until the vegetables are nice and soft and golden brown.
Step 2 - Cook the mushrooms: Add the mushrooms and saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until they're soft, golden brown, and caramelized.
TIP: It's important that the mushrooms get some caramelization on them for added flavor, so feel free to keep cooking them until they do so. Resist the urge to keep stirring, which can inhibit browning.
Step 3 - Deglaze with wine: Add the white wine and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Scrape any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Reduce and simmer for a couple of minutes until the alcohol smell dissipates and the liquid has reduced by half.
Step 4 - Add the liquids: Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the stock, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, parm rind, and ¾ cup of heavy cream.
Step 5 - Simmer: Simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Season with kosher salt and black pepper.
TIP: The sauce should simmer with gentle, constant bubbles, but it should not boil.
Step 6 - Add the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, and cook pasta until just before al dente. Over low heat, transfer the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Add a bit of pasta water, if needed, to loosen the sauce.
Step 7 - Serve: Divide pasta amongst serving bowls and top with cheese and parsley. Enjoy!
Storage: Leftover pasta can be stored in an airtight container for 2 - 3 days. I prefer to reheat it on the stove, with a splash of water (ideally pasta water) until warmed through.
Expert Tips
- Use a food processor to save time. Whiz your aromatics in a food processor to reduce time spent individually chopping vegetables!
- Give the ragù time to simmer. Time is everything here, and it will really help develop those complex, savory flavors.
- Season as you go. Season every step, from sauteeing the mushrooms to simmering the sauce. And don't be afraid to adjust seasonings as needed! If it's not creamy enough, add more cream. Not savory or salty enough? Try more soy sauce.
Recipe FAQs
Italian ragùs typically contain meat, soffrito, and a liquid base with tomato sauce, wine, stock, or even milk. Aside from replacing the meat with mushrooms, this ragù contains some non-traditional elements like soy sauce to enhance the umami flavors.
I recommend using a mix! Go for higher-quality mushrooms here, as they really do shine in this dish. Try any combination of oyster, maitake, chantarelles, and shiitakes.
Traditionally, there are many different types of shapes that pair with ragùs, from pici to pappardelle to cavatelli. I really love using fresh pasta (but store-bought totally works too!); the soft, silky strands of pasta really complement the mushroom cream sauce. Tagliatelle (or fettuccine) and pappardelle are my favorite pasta shapes to pair with the dish.
Has the sauce simmered for an hour yet? If not, keep going! If yes, then the first thing I'd recommend is seeing if it has enough salt added. To test this, place a little bit of a ragù to a small bowl and add a pinch of salt.
Does it taste better? If yes, the salt's the issue! If no, consider whether you'd like to continue simmering the sauce for more flavor, adding a pinch of black pepper, or some parmesan cheese.
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Happy eating! Love, KarishmaCreamy Mushroom Ragù
Ingredients
- 8 ounces assorted mushrooms, such as shiitake, oyster, and maitake
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 bulb fennel, finely diced
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- Salt and black pepper
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ¾ cup mushroom bouillon, or vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 parmesan rind, optional
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 16 ounces fresh pasta, such as tagliatelle or pappardelle | or 12 ounces dried pasta, such as tagliatelle or bucatini
- A handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely minced
- Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano or pecorino cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Prep the mushrooms: Wipe any dirt off your mushrooms. If using creminis, slice them. If using shiitake, oyster, maitake, or other wild mushrooms, tear them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
- Saute the aromatics: In a dutch oven or large skillet set over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 bulb fennel, 1 large onion, and 4 cloves garlic and stir to ensure the vegetables are coated in the oil. Season with salt and pepper, and saute for 8 - 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, translucent, and slightly caramelized (golden brown at the edges).
- Cook the mushrooms: Add the mushrooms and saute for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until they fully release all moisture and turn golden-brown.
- Add the wine: Add ½ cup dry white wine, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Simmer the sauce: Reduce the heat to medium-low until the sauce is at a simmer. Add ¾ cup mushroom bouillon, 1 teaspoon of the soy sauce, parm rind (if using), and ¾ cup of the heavy cream, and simmer for one hour. Check the mixture every 20 - 30 minutes to adjust seasoning. You can add a bit more of the soy sauce if you’d like more saltiness. Note: As the sauce cooks down, reduce the heat as needed to maintain a simmer. Do not let the sauce boil at any point, as the cream can curdle.
- Boil the pasta: 10 - 15 minutes before the sauce finishes simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil.Add 16 ounces fresh pasta, and cook until just barely al dente, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
- Check seasoning: After one hour, taste your sauce. If needed, add the remaining soy sauce. If it’s too dry for your liking, you can add the additional ¼ cup of heavy cream and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove the parmesan rind (if using).
- Finish the dish: Transfer al dente pasta to the sauce using a slotted spoon and stir to combine.Add a few tablespoons of pasta water to loosen the sauce if desired, then reduce sauce over low heat for a minute or two until the sauce clings to the pasta.
- Serve: Season again, then garnish with parsley and cheese and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Steve
really good recipe easy to make couldn't make mushroom stock so I improvised
Karishma
Hi Steve, so happy you enjoyed! Glad you were able to improvise - it's still great even without mushroom stock.
Cortney
What dry white wine do you use?
Karishma
Hi Cortney,
Good question - I love using a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc! There are a lot of different options you can try, but just make sure it's something that you truly enjoy drinking.
Spillt User
Elle
Hi! When you're simmering do you leave the pot covered or uncovered? Thanks!
Karishma Pradhan
Hi Elle,
Great question. I leave the pot uncovered when simmering so that the sauce can reduce nicely.
Thanks,
Karishma