Mushroom and walnut ragu

Serves: 4

As a new mum, these days Ella Mills is all about meals that won’t be ruined if you turn your back for a moment, like this mushroom and walnut ragu.

Ingredients:

● 20g dried porcini mushrooms

● 250ml boiling water

● 100g walnuts

● 1 onion, finely diced

● 2 garlic cloves, finely diced

● 2 celery stalks, finely diced

● Olive oil

● 400g chestnut or button mushrooms, thinly sliced

● 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced

● 1tsp dried thyme

● 1tsp dried oregano

● 1tsp dried rosemary

● 1 × 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

● 1tbsp tomato purée

● 2tbsp tamari

● 1–2tbsp nutritional yeast

● 4 portions of pasta

● Salt and pepper

● Handful of chopped parsley, to serve

Method:

1. Soak the dried mushrooms. Put them into a bowl with the boiling water and leave for 20 minutes. Once soaked, drain well (but keep the liquid), then cut the mushrooms into small pieces.

2. Chop the walnuts into tiny pieces – they need to look like large breadcrumbs. Place them in a large, deep frying pan over a medium heat and toast for about five minutes, until golden, stirring every now and again. Once toasted, remove from the heat and spoon into a bowl. Place the frying pan back on the heat.

3. Add the onion, garlic and celery to the frying pan, along with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Cook for five to 10 minutes, until soft.

4. Add the fresh mushrooms and red pepper, with the thyme, oregano and rosemary, and cook for about five minutes, until soft.

5. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, tamari and dried mushrooms with their water. Leave to simmer for 10–15 minutes – you want the ragu to be thick and have lost the excess liquid. Stir in the walnuts and nutritional yeast and leave them to cook in the sauce for a final five minutes.

6. While the ragu is simmering, cook your pasta in a pan of boiling water. Drain well then stir into the ragu once both are ready. Serve with a sprinkling of chopped parsley.