Beef-Tomato Ragu with Pappardelle

A deeply savory and slow-simmered beef and tomato ragu, served over broad pappardelle pasta, perfect for a comforting and rich meal.

• Prep: 25 min
• Cook: 1 hr 30 min
• Total: 1 hr 55 min
• Servings: 1
• Cuisine: Italian
• Difficulty: Medium
• Cost: $7.86/serving

Dietary

• Halal
• Nut-Free
• Soy-Free
• Egg-Free
• High-Protein
• High-Fiber

Tags

• comfort food
• slow cooker
• savory

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 ounce ground beef (halal, 80/20 lean)
• 0.25 yellow onion (diced)
• 0.5 carrot (finely diced)
• 1 celery (finely diced)
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 0.5 cup beef broth (halal)
• 0.5 cup crushed tomatoes
• 0.5 cup tomato paste
• 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano
• 0.25 teaspoon dried basil
• 0.75 teaspoon kosher salt
• 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 ounce pappardelle pasta
• 1 slice crusty bread
• 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese (grated)

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add halal ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned. Drain any excess fat and set beef aside.
2. To the same pot, add diced yellow onion, finely diced carrot, and finely diced celery. Cook for 5-7 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Return the browned ground beef to the pot. Add halal beef broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, dried oregano, dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Stir well to combine.
5. Bring the ragu to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. The longer it simmers, the richer the flavor.
6. About 15 minutes before the ragu is done, cook pappardelle pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water before draining.
7. Stir the remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper into the ragu. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to reach desired consistency.
8. Serve the beef-tomato ragu over the cooked pappardelle, with a side of crusty bread. Optionally, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

For deeper flavor, you can let the ragu simmer longer, up to 2-3 hours on low heat. Ensure the sauce doesn't dry out, adding a little water or broth if needed.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 880
• Protein: 42.8 g
• Carbohydrates: 90.1 g
• Fat: 38.3 g
• Fiber: 9.7 g
• Sodium: 1480 mg
• Saturated Fat: 12.5 g
• Sugar: 19.3 g
• Cholesterol: 120 mg