No-Oil Mushroom and Lentil Ragù for Pasta

General Fast Without Oil Published August 02, 2026

A long-simmered ragù is normally built on fat, and this one is not, which means it has to earn its depth elsewhere. It does: dried porcini and their soaking liquid, tomato paste cooked until it darkens, mushrooms browned in a dry pan, and a full hour on low heat.

Browning mushrooms without oil works better than people expect. A dry pan drives out their water first, and once the pan goes dry again the mushrooms brown directly against the metal. Do not stir them much and do not crowd them.

Brown lentils give the sauce the coarse, meaty texture a ragù needs. Over any pasta this is a full plate — twenty grams of protein a serving before you add anything.

FASTING LEVEL: Fast Without Oil (strict days)
SERVINGS: 6
TIME: 1 hour 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

- 30g dried porcini mushrooms
- 1.5 cups (360ml) boiling water
- 500g cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
- 2 onions, finely diced
- 3 carrots, finely diced
- 3 celery stalks, finely diced
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup (240ml) dry red wine
- 1 cup (200g) brown or green lentils, rinsed
- 2 x 400g cans crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups (480ml) vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Salt and black pepper
- 500g pasta, to serve
- Chopped basil and parsley

METHOD

1. Cover the porcini with the boiling water and soak 20 minutes. Lift them out, chop finely, and reserve the liquid — pour it off carefully and leave the grit behind in the bowl.

2. Heat a large dry heavy pot over medium-high. Add the fresh mushrooms and cook 12-15 minutes, stirring only occasionally. They will release water, the pan will go wet, then dry again, and only then will they brown. Wait for it.

3. Add the onion, carrot, and celery with 1/2 cup of water. Cook 12 minutes, adding splashes of water whenever the pot sticks, until soft and sweet.

4. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.

5. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 3 minutes until it turns brick red and smells sweet rather than raw.

6. Pour in the wine and scrape the bottom clean. Simmer 5 minutes.

7. Add the chopped porcini, their strained soaking liquid, the lentils, crushed tomatoes, broth, soy sauce, oregano, fennel, pepper flakes, and bay leaves.

8. Bring to a boil, then drop to the lowest simmer and cook 45-55 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until the lentils are soft and the sauce is thick and glossy. Add hot water if it tightens too far.

9. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the balsamic and season hard with salt and black pepper.

10. Toss with cooked pasta and a ladle of the pasta water, and finish with basil and parsley.

NOTES

- On oil days: start with 4 tablespoons of olive oil and finish each plate with more. The difference is real, but the no-oil version stands on its own.
- The porcini are the single most important ingredient. Do not substitute them out.
- Freezes beautifully in portions. Make a double batch during a long fast.
- Also good over polenta, baked into a lasagna with béchamel made from cashews, or spooned onto toast.