RICH RAGU

Rich ragu image

A rich, versatile meat sauce: serve it Bolognese-style with spaghetti or use it as a base for lasagne or moussaka

Provided by Good Food team

Categories Dinner, Main course, Pasta, Supper

Time 1h55m

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, halved and finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely diced
1 large carrot, finely diced
600g pack minced beef steak
3 tbsp tomato purée
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
150ml red wine (or use extra beef stock)
500ml beef stock
400g spaghetti
50g grated parmesan, plus extra to serve (optional)
side salad, to serve

Steps:

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion, celery and carrot. Fry over a medium heat for 10 mins, stirring now and then, until softened and starting to colour.
Stir in the mince and cook, breaking up any clumps of meat with a wooden spoon, until browned.
Add the tomato purée, garlic and thyme, and cook for 1-2 mins more. Pour in the wine, if using, and increase the heat to boil off most of the alcohol. Reduce the heat, stir in the stock and season. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and leave to cook gently for 1 hr-1 hr 15 mins until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.
Remove the lid and continue cooking for 15 mins. Meanwhile, cook the pasta following pack instructions. Reserve a mugful of the cooking water, then drain the spaghetti and add to the ragu with the Parmesan. Toss well and add a little pasta water to help the sauce coat the spaghetti. Serve with a side salad and extra cheese, if you like.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 705 calories, Fat 15 grams fat, SaturatedFat 6 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 79 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 9 grams sugar, Fiber 7 grams fiber, Protein 54 grams protein, Sodium 0.9 milligram of sodium