Piedmontese Hazelnut ragu

This good and unique Piedmontese hazelnut ragu swaps meat for hazelnuts, which are simmered alongside red wine, vegetables and herbs to create an good vegetarian ragu that's full of flavour and solid with pasta or polenta.

Quick recipe snapshot

• Traditional Piedmontese recipe
• Meat-free alternative to a regular ragu
• Only 1 hour simmer time and full of flavour!

When we first came across this ragu (ragu alle nocciole) we were so excited to try it because it sounded so unique and unlike anything we had tried before.

Piedmont, in the north of Italy, is famous for its hazelnuts, so it's no surprise that hazelnuts are the star of the show. You'll also find them in some of the region's most famous sweets like: hazelnut chocolate spreadBaci di Dama cookies and Baci chocolates.

It was actually quite difficult to find much information on this dish, and there doesn't seem to be a go-to traditional set of ingredients, so this is our version, and we love it.

Ingredient notes

• Hazelnuts – We use whole with skins on, but you can use skinless if you prefer. If your nuts are already toasted, you can skip that step and go straight to blitzing them.
• Dried porcini – mixed dried mushrooms are also fine to use, make sure you soak them in hot water for at least 10 minutes to rehydrate them. Alternatively, you can use some fresh crimini (chestnut) mushrooms instead. Finely chop them and saute them with the other veg.
• Passata – known as tomato puree in the US. We love Mutti brand as it's excellent quality, but use a brand you love.

Visual walk-through of the recipe

Step 1 – toast the nuts in a dry pan, let cool, then pulse to a rough texture in a food processor (photos 1 and 2).

Step 2 – Soak the porcini mushrooms in hot water for at least 10 minutes, set aside (photo 3).

Step 3 – Sauté the finely chopped vegetables until soft but not browned (photo 4).

Step 4 – Add the chopped hazelnuts, garlic, bay and rosemary and saute for a few minutes (photo 5).

Step 5 – Roughly chop the dried porcini mushrooms and add them to the pan with most of the soaking liquid (avoiding the grit at the bottom). Add the wine and simmer until you can no longer smell the alcohol (photo 6).

Step 6 – Add the tomato passata, water and a good pinch of salt and pepper and stir through. Simmer on low for 1 hour (check halfway through and add more water if needed). Once ready, cook your pasta al dente and add it to the sauce and serve (photos 7 and 8).

Recipe tips and FAQs

• Best pasta to use – we used paccheri for this, but honestly, most pasta shapes will work well, such as penne, rigatoni or tagliatelle.
• Texture of the hazelnuts – the nuts still have a bite to them, which we like. If you're looking for a softer texture, you can either blitz the hazelnuts a little finer or cook the ragu for another hour, adding more water as needed.
• Serving suggestion – as well as pasta, this ragu is good served with some creamy polenta.

Can we prep this in advance?

Yes, you can prepare the ragu in advance and refrigerate it until needed. It'll keep well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

More recipes from Piedmont to try

Mains

Vitello Tonnato (Veal with Tuna Sauce)

Sides

Ricotta Chicken Croquettes

Fresh Pasta

Homemade Agnolotti (step by step)

Antipasti

Bagna Cauda (Anchovy, Garlic and Butter Dip)

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 1 carrot
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 onion
• 1 cup (150g) whole hazelnuts
• 1/2 cup (15g) dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1 garlic clove (finely chopped)
• 1/2 cup (125ml) red wine ((such as Barbera d'Asti or Chianti))
• 2 cups (460g) Passata (tomato puree US)
• 1/2 cup (125ml) water
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 lb (450g) pasta of choice ((such as paccheri, rigatoni or tagliatelle))
• Parmigiano Reggiano (for serving (use a vegetarian-friendly cheese if needed))

Method

Prep

1. Add the dried porcini mushrooms to a ramekin or bowl and cover them with hot water. Let them soak for at least 10 minutes or until needed.

2. Toast the hazelnuts in a dry pan for a few minutes. Let them cool completely then pulse in a food processor until you have a rough, crumbly texture. Set aside.

Make the ragu

1. Finely chop the carrot, celery and onion into small pieces. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan. Add the chopped vegetables and saute them gently until soft but not browned (about 10 minutes).

2. Once soft, add a finely chopped garlic clove, chopped hazelnuts, bay leaf and rosemary and saute for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.

3. Roughly chop the porcini mushrooms and add them to the veg alongside most of their soaking liquid. Be careful not to add the grit that's usually left at the bottom.

4. Next, add the red wine and let it simmer until you can no longer smell a strong alcohol smell. Add the tomato passata and water with a good pinch of salt and pepper, and stir together.

5. Simmer on medium-low for 1 hour. Halfway through, check the sauce and if it has reduced too much, add a little more water as needed (¼-½ cup/60-125ml).

6. Taste for seasoning and add extra salt and pepper as needed.

7. Once ready, cook your pasta in plenty of salted boiling water until al dente, then transfer it to the sauce. Use a little pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed, and toss the pasta until fully coated.

8. Serve in bowls topped with lots of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Kitchen notes

Storage and freezing the ragu will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days or can be frozen for up to 3 months.