What is the difference between ragu and ragout anyway?

Both are robust and flavorful and more than satisfying on a cold winter night. But the similarities end there.

Ragù is an Italian meat-based pasta sauce with a little bit of tomato/tomato paste (but not overwhelmingly tomato like a marinara would be). Think bolognese.

Ragout, on the other hand, is a thick and chunky French stew, meat or veg-based and cooked long and slow until the flavors are rich and robust. It’s not necessarily a sauce, but is often served over pasta.

This recipe falls is somewhere in between, and I’ve changed the title of this post more than a few times because I simply couldn’t decide what to call it.

The mushrooms make for an ultra-flavorful meat alternative that is in no way lacking in the flavor department; and there is a little bit of tomato paste in there for added depth and consistency (score one for ragu). That said, the French ragout is a bit more all-encompassing in terms of meat/no-meat flexibility, and the last thing I want to do is piss off the Italian-authenticity police (which pushes me more towards team ragout). And while I’d certainly consider it more of a pasta sauce than a standalone stew (advantage: ragu), there’s no denying it’d be a pretty darn good topping for risotti, potatoes, or even grilled chicken (ragout evens the score).

Whether you call it a mushroom ragout served over pasta, or a meatless ragu with wild mushrooms, what’s obvious here is that a lack of meat does not mean lack of flavor. In fact, I’d argue this ragout is nearly TOO flavorful (if there is such a thing?) Mushrooms, of course, being one of the greatest sources of natural umami this side of soy sauce… The way to bring out even more of that flavor? Cook them down until they surrender their succulent richness and devour.

Meat lovers and mushroom haters alike can even get behind this dish, it’s that good.

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