Ground Beef Tomato Ragu with Carrot, Celery and Herbs
Ground beef and finely diced vegetables simmered with tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, oregano, and basil for a simple pasta sauce.
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 1 medium carrot finely diced
- 1 stalk celery finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 500 g ground beef approximately 1 pound 2 ounces
- 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes undrained; approximately 400 grams
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- to taste salt and black pepper
- 0–¼ cup water only if sauce dries early; add 1–2 tablespoons at a time
Optional Serving
- 12 oz dry pasta optional; boil separately according to package
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan optional
Instructions
- Heat oil in a wide saucepan. Soften finely diced onion, carrot, and celery over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, then stir in garlic for 30 seconds.
- Add ground beef and cook in small crumbles until 160°F, draining excess fat if necessary. Stir tomato paste through for 1 minute.
- Add undrained diced tomatoes, broth, oregano, and basil. Simmer gently, partially covered, about 30 minutes, stirring periodically, until vegetables are tender.
- If thin, simmer uncovered briefly. If drying too quickly, lower heat and add conditional water 1–2 tablespoons at a time, up to ¼ cup. Taste salt and pepper and serve in 4 portions with optional separately cooked pasta and Parmesan.
Notes
Pasta is cooked separately; its boiling can overlap the sauce simmer. Finely dice the vegetables. Conditional water is used only if the pot dries before the vegetables soften.