Equipment
Ingredients
Roasted Vegetables
- 600 g eggplant, cut into 2cm cubes
- 200 g red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 2cm pieces
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 3 g salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Ragu Base
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 150 g yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic, minced
- 30 g tomato paste
- 2 g dried oregano
- 120 ml dry red wine
- 800 g crushed tomatoes
Finishing Ingredients
- 15 ml balsamic vinegar
- 10 g fresh basil, roughly torn
- salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 311 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 36 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fiber
- 11 g
- Sugar
- 20 g
- Sodium
- 910 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Potassium
- 1296 mg
- Calcium
- 122 mg
- Iron
- 4.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 82 mg
- Phosphorus
- 143 mg
- Zinc
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 137 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 93 mg
- Vitamin E
- 3.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 31 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.11 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.14 mg
- Niacin
- 1.6 mg
- Folate
- 66 mcg
- Water
- 256 g
- Alcohol
- 3 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the cubed eggplant and red bell pepper on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 30ml of olive oil, and sprinkle with 3g of salt and 1g of black pepper. Toss well using your hands to ensure the vegetables are evenly coated.
Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, tossing halfway through, until they are golden brown, deeply caramelized on the edges, and tender.
While the vegetables finish roasting, heat the remaining 30ml of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 5 minutes until translucent and softened.
Add the minced garlic, tomato paste, and dried oregano to the Dutch oven. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the tomato paste darkens in color to a deep brick red.
Pour the dry red wine into the pot to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom. Let the wine simmer and reduce for about 3 minutes until the smell of alcohol dissipates and the liquid is mostly evaporated.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes and the roasted eggplant and bell peppers. Bring the mixture to a gentle bubble, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the flavors to meld and the vegetables to break down into the sauce.
Remove the Dutch oven from the heat. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and torn fresh basil. Taste the ragu and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if necessary. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving over warm polenta or cooked pasta.
Chef's Notes
- Roasting the eggplant before simmering is a crucial technique. It drives off excess moisture, concentrates the vegetable's flavor, and prevents it from acting like a sponge that absorbs all the oil in your sauce.
- For the deepest, most complex flavor, use certified San Marzano tomatoes. They have a naturally sweeter profile, lower acidity, and a thicker flesh that breaks down perfectly into a ragu.
- A splash of high-quality balsamic vinegar added off the heat acts as a flavor amplifier. Its acidity balances the richness of the olive oil and roasted vegetables while adding a subtle sweetness.
- If you plan to serve this with pasta, reserve about 60ml of the starchy pasta cooking water. Toss the hot pasta directly in the pan with a few ladles of the ragu and the pasta water to perfectly emulsify the sauce so it clings to every noodle.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container. Flavors will significantly deepen overnight.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze in airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags, leaving a little room for expansion.
Reheating: Warm gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add a small splash of water or vegetable broth if the sauce has thickened too much.
Troubleshooting
Eggplant remains slightly tough or chewy
Cause: Oven temperature was too low or vegetables were crowded on the baking sheet
Fix: Add 60ml of water to the Dutch oven, cover with a lid, and simmer for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the eggplant softens completely
Prevention: Ensure the oven is fully preheated and use two baking sheets if necessary so the vegetables sit in a single, uncrowded layer
Sauce tastes overly acidic or sharp
Cause: The canned tomatoes had high natural acidity or the tomato paste was not cooked long enough
Fix: Stir in a small pinch of granulated sugar or 15g of finely grated carrot and simmer for 5 more minutes
Prevention: Always cook tomato paste until it turns brick red to caramelize its sugars. Use high-quality canned tomatoes.
Cultural Context
Traditionally, a ragu in Italian cuisine refers to a meat-based sauce slowly simmered with a soffritto base and tomatoes, heavily associated with the northern region of Emilia-Romagna. This vegetarian interpretation draws heavy inspiration from Southern Italy, particularly Campania and Sicily. In these sun-drenched regions, eggplants thrive and are frequently used as hearty, meaty centerpieces in pasta dishes, providing deep umami and a satisfying texture without the need for animal proteins.
