Meat-free lentil, aubergine and walnut ragu recipe

Name: Meat-free lentil, aubergine and walnut ragu recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 serving(s)
Ingredients: 2 tbsp. olive oil; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 large carrot, finely chopped; 1 large celery stick, finely chopped; 1 aubergine (about 275g), trimmed and cut into 1cm cubes; 2 smoked garlic cloves, finely sliced; 1 tbsp. finely chopped rosemary; 175 mL red wine; 400 g tin chopped tomatoes; 250 mL vegetable stock; 1 tsp. runny honey; 75 g walnuts; 250 g pouch cooked Puy lentils, we used Merchant Gourmet; 360 g pappardelle; 50 g Parmesan, finely grated, see TIPs

Serve with pappardelle for a hearty midweek dinner

By The GH Kitchen TeamPublished: 01 September 2025

Recipe by Sarah Akhurst

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Ant Duncan

Lentils create a meaty texture without the need for mince. This full-bodied red wine ragu is packed with both flavour and fibre. Result.

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Yields:

4 serving(s)

Prep Time:

15 mins

Cook Time:

45 mins

Total Time:

1 hr

Cal/Serv:

764

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 large celery stick, finely chopped
1 aubergine (about 275g), trimmed and cut into 1cm cubes
2 smoked garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 Tbsp. finely chopped rosemary
175 ml red wine
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
250 ml vegetable stock
1 tsp. runny honey
75 g walnuts
250 g pouch cooked Puy lentils, we used Merchant Gourmet
360 g pappardelle
50 g Parmesan, finely grated, see TIPs

Directions

1. Step 1Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan or casserole and fry the onions, carrots and celery for 10min, until soft.
2. Step 2Add the aubergine to the pan and continue to cook for 6-8min, until soft. Add the garlic, rosemary and tomato purée and continue to cook for a further 2min.
3. Step 3Pour in the red wine and bubble for 2min, then add the tinned tomatoes, stock and honey. Simmer gently for 10min until slightly reduced.
4. Step 4Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over medium heat and dry-fry the walnuts for 3-4min until toasted. Remove from the pan and finely chop.
5. Step 5Add the lentils and ⅔ of the chopped walnuts to the sauce and continue cooking for another 8-10min. Check seasoning.
6. Step 6Meanwhile, cook pappardelle in a large pan of boiling, salted water for 10-12min, until al dente. Drain and return to the pan. Toss a ladleful of the ragu through the pasta to coat, then divide between 4 bowls and top with the remaining ragu.
7. Step 7Combine the remaining walnuts with the Parmesan and scatter over the pasta to serve.

If cooking for vegetarians, swap the Parmesan for Italian-style vegetarian hard cheese.

If you like this recipe you'll love our veggie lentil bolognese recipe.

Per serving:

Calories: 764
Protein: 28g
Fat: 25g
Saturates: 5g
Carbs: 9g
Sugars: 21g
Fibre: 14g

Whether you're vegan, or just looking to cut down on meat, these are our best plant-based recipes 🥬 🥦

The GH Kitchen Team

The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor ⁠Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce ⁠Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time

Recipe bySarah Akhurst

Kitchen and Homes Director

Sarah is Good Housekeeping's Kitchen and Homes Director, looking after all things food and homes for the brand. Sarah started her career in journalism, then retrained as a chef 15 years ago following a lifelong dream to work in food. Since retraining, she has worked as a private chef, assisted on tv commercials, created recipes for some of the country's leading brands and became the go-to birthday and wedding cake baker in her friends and family network. In 2025, she was shortlisted for Cookery Writer of the Year by the Guild of Food Writers

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