Derval O'Rourke: How to make my hearty Mushroom Ragu with Pappardelle & Garlic Breadcrumbs

Plus: what's new in sports and physical activity?

Mushroom Ragu with Pappardelle & Garlic Breadcrumbs

Each year Sport Ireland, the organisation that is responsible for the development of sport in Ireland, releases a report on the research it has conducted regarding physical activity in children and adults. 

It uses this research to bring together sports programmes and policies designed to achieve physical goals set out by the government.

I find the report really interesting as it offers a good look into the level of physical activity in our population. 

This week I'm chatting about the report and sharing a recipe for a hearty mushroom ragu with pappardelle and garlic breadcrumbs.

How physically active have we as a nation been in the past year and is there a difference between men and women?

The overall number of adults who engage in physical activity each week rose 3% from the year before to a total of 43%. 

The gender gap between adult men and women has remained the same since 2021 at 5% -- but this has drastically reduced since the beginning of these reports in 2007 where the gender gap of adult men and women participating in sports was as high as 16%.

How active are our children?

According to Sport Ireland, children should be aiming for about an hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. 

The research concludes that 15% of children meet this target, which is a number that has risen 2% from pre-pandemic numbers. 

Overall numbers of children doing physical activity at least once a week has also risen quite significantly compared to pre-pandemic numbers, which is always an exciting thing to see! 

While overall numbers of children in primary and post primary schools participating in physical activity at least once each week has risen over the last couple of years, the number amongst female children participating in school sports has lessened over the last couple of years.

How active are we as adults in sport?

If there is a big match on the telly we are all really happy to sit on the couch and roar on the Irish squad but outside of this how active are we as adults with sport. The report shows while adult participation in sport has increased by 3% in the last several years, there is still a downward trend in some areas including volunteering. Many local sports organisations rely heavily on volunteers for the coaching and organisation of their teams. With less adult participation in this area, this could become problematic for local clubs and organisations.

These reports are a fantastic way to get a good understanding of the level of physical activity amongst adults and especially children in Ireland. 

It’s interesting to read the statistics and consider them as they are applied to our own homes whether that is how much activity children or adults are getting. 

Keeping active throughout the week is important for your physical wellbeing but also being connected to a sport is brilliant to help you feel part of a community. 

As a parent, I know it makes a big difference when my children see me getting out and getting active.

Derval O’Rourke. Photo: Joleen Cronin.

Wellness Tip: Like most things in life, adults lead by example. If your kids see you not taking an interest in exercise, they may follow suit. Consider how you can make sport part of your life.

Fitness Tip: Even 1 hour outside, doing moderate exercise like walking, can do great things for your health -- lower stress, lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health etc.

Mushroom Ragu with Pappardelle & Garlic Breadcrumbs

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

A hearty mushroom ragu - ready in under an hour.

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 40 mins

Total Time

 50 mins

Course

 IEC-recipe-root

Cuisine

 Italian

Ingredients

• 500g mushrooms

• Dash of oil

• Knob of butter

• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 celery stick, finely chopped

• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

• 100ml red wine

• 1 tin chopped tomatoes

• 400g dried pappardelle

• For the breadcrumbs:

• Dash of oil

• Handful of breadcrumbs

• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated

• 1 lemon, zested

• 1 handful fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

Method

1. Place the mushrooms in a blender and pulse them until they resemble mince.

2. Place a pot over a low heat, add a little oil and then a little butter, add the onions, garlic, celery and thyme. Cook this on a low heat for about 10 minutes.

3. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn up the heat slightly and cook for about 10 minutes.

4. Most of the liquid from the mushrooms should be evaporated at this stage. Add the wine and cook for a few minutes then add the tomatoes. Cook this for about 15 minutes. Everything should have thickened at this stage.

5. While the ragu is cooking you can prepare the pasta. Cook this in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.

6. Strain the pasta and keep back a little of the pasta water.

7. For the breadcrumbs:

8. Heat a pan over medium heat.

9. Once hot add a little oil and then the breadcrumbs. After about 2 minutes they should take on some colour.

10. At this stage add the garlic. Cook for another two minutes or so moving gently to avoid them catching or burning.

11. Remove from the heat and add some lemon zest and parsley.

12. To serve:

13. Add a dash of the pasta water to the mushroom ragu, stir in, then add in the pasta.

14. Mix this well, add in some of the breadcrumbs. Divide this between 4 bowls.

15. Sprinkle the remaining breadcrumbs over the pasta. Add some parmesan if you like.