Penne with Beef Ragù
Penne with Beef Ragu is rated
out of
5 by
5.
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
88 minutes
Servings:
4
Ragù, which can be made with ground beef, pork, veal or a combination, tastes even better the day after it is made. This recipe can easily be doubled and will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Ingredients:
- 6 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
- 3/4 lb. ground beef
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 3 Tbs. tomato paste
- 2 1/2 cups canned whole plum tomatoes,
chopped, with juices - 2 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more,
to taste - 1 lb. penne or rigatoni
Directions:
Make the sauce
In a large, deep fry pan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and rosemary and sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Add 1 to 2 Tbs. water if needed to keep the pan from drying out and the vegetables from browning.
Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it is browned, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the alcohol has evaporated, about 4 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and add the tomatoes, the 1 tsp. salt and the 1/2 tsp. pepper. Cover partially and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and aromatic, about 1 hour.
Cook the pasta
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the 2 Tbs. salt and the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce, stirring to combine. Warm briefly over low heat to blend the flavors. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Serves 4.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Pasta, by Julia della Croce (Oxmoor House, 2006).
In a large, deep fry pan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and rosemary and sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Add 1 to 2 Tbs. water if needed to keep the pan from drying out and the vegetables from browning.
Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it is browned, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the alcohol has evaporated, about 4 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and add the tomatoes, the 1 tsp. salt and the 1/2 tsp. pepper. Cover partially and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and aromatic, about 1 hour.
Cook the pasta
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the 2 Tbs. salt and the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce, stirring to combine. Warm briefly over low heat to blend the flavors. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Serves 4.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Pasta, by Julia della Croce (Oxmoor House, 2006).
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Consumer2 from
Good, but needed something
I used ground veal which has a mild taste. It really needed a top note to improve the taste. I looked on WS for other similar recipes and I noticed that some used goat cheese. So I added goat cheese and the recipe was much improved.
Also, I served the leftovers with the cheese on a bed of uncooked baby spinach. Delicioso!
Date published: 2015-03-04
Rated 5 out of
5
by
sfremed from
Delicious!
I have made this recipe a few times for guests and I never have leftovers. It is a great, simple recipe. Like another reviewer mentioned, I also cut back on the amount of oil and use 3 - 4 Tbl instead of the 6 called for in the recipe.
Date published: 2013-01-12
Rated 5 out of
5
by
cjbuddy from
Simple but seems like more...
I have made this a few times, most recently with pork in place of the beef. Other than a couple of extra cloves of garlic made as directed. It is so good and even though there is a long simmer time the prep work is pretty quick. Would serve to guests.
Date published: 2012-12-16
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Nilpi from
Simple & practical
I really like this recipe due to its simplricity. I also agree with the previous reviewers about mixing beef with pork, etc., as this makes it more delicious. However, 6 Tablespoons of oil is very excessive. The meat (even if you use sirloin, which I did) also renders fat, so you end up with a significant amount. I would cut down the saute oil by half to 3 Tablespoons. This is a fantastic dish, and keeping it healthy is the way to go!!
Date published: 2012-04-10
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Sarish from
Simple Cooking, Flexible Recipe
We make this about once a week. Family and friends love it and it makes great leftovers for lunch (I eat it on toast rather than use pre-cooked noodles).
We replace rosemary with 3 bay leaves (and add before wine), which is called for in the Ragu from the WS "Sauces" cookbook.
We also use any combination of pork, beef, veal, and lamb that is available.
The more wine the better (but also the longer it takes to cook). This recipe can be doubled (trippled etc) well.
Long and short: this is simple cooking for delicious comfort food.
Date published: 2012-01-04