Try this Shortcut Vegetable Ragu recipe, or contribute your own.
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 3 cloves garlic
- 4 oz sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 large carrot peeled then roughly chopped
- 1 rib celery roughly chopped
- 1 lb ground beef (i used 85/15)
- 24 oz high quality marinara sauce (i used gino's)
- 1 lb gluten-free or regular spaghetti
- Carbohydrate 1.342946486144 g
- Cholesterol 92 mg
- Fat 21.140670702832 g
- Fiber 0.266996183119149 g
- Protein 23.636005211032 g
- Saturated Fat 5.65459546927973 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -6 (467g)
- Sodium 102.100362174 mg
- Sugar 1.07595030302485 g
- Trans Fat 1.67873453053174 g
- Calories 294 calories
Step-by-step
- Add onions and garlic to the bowl of a food processor then pulse until minced, or mince by hand. Heat oil in a large skillet with high sides over medium heat then add onions and garlic and saute until softened, 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add carrot, celery, and mushrooms to the bowl of the food processor then pulse until minced, or mince vegetables by hand. Add to skillet then turn heat up to medium-high. Season with salt and pepper then saute until vegetables are tender, 5 minutes.
- Add ground beef to skillet, season with salt and pepper, then saute until no longer pink, breaking it up as it cooks. Add marinara sauce and chicken broth then stir to combine, turn the heat down to medium, and then place a lid partially on top and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in fresh basil then taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil then drop in spaghetti. Cook until al dente then serve tossed with ragu.
Mincing vegetables via food processor
Pulsing aromatics instead of fine dicing creates a uniform particle size that releases moisture evenly during the five-minute initial sauté. Food processors shear cell walls rather than slicing them cleanly, meaning carrots, celery, and onions expel liquid rapidly when exposed to direct heat. Cut vegetables by hand to 1/8-inch dice if a chunkier mouthfeel is preferred over a smooth sauce matrix.Rendering fat and browning ground beef
Cooking 85/15 ground beef over medium-high heat until completely gray and no pink remains ensures the Maillard reaction develops savory depth without burning the rendered lipids. Drain excess fat through a mesh strainer if the sauce feels heavy, or retain it to emulsify with the starches released from the chicken broth and marinara. Break apart meat clusters continuously with a wooden spoon so the proteins brown on all sides rather than steaming.Simmering and starch integration
Simmering the sauce for exactly ten minutes with a partially covered lid concentrates the tomatoes while preventing excessive evaporation. Toss boiling spaghetti directly into the warm sauce within two minutes of draining, utilizing residual surface starches to bind the meat particles tightly to the strands.
