Description
Ready to make the best homemade spaghetti sauce with hearty ground beef you ever had?
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients of Homemade Ragu Sauce
- 1 pound (450g) ground beef (consider mixing different meats!)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped (optional)
- 1/2 cup red wine (optional)
- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil (extra-virgin olive oil is best!)
For the Pasta
- 12 ounces (340g) spaghetti or really any type of pasta – alternatively: polenta
- Salt for boiling water
Alternative Ingredients for Ragu Sauce Recipe
- Ground beef – ground pork, ground turkey, lamb, veal, of a combination of everything for a unique flavor
- Vegan version – use plant-based ground meat alternatives, such as soy crumbles, lentils, or mushrooms
- Tomatoes – diced fresh tomatoes or cherry tomatoes give a chunkier and fresher sauce
- Herbs – fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, parsley, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning
- Vegetables – bell pepper, zucchini, eggplant
- Wine – red wine, white wine, vegetable broth, beef bone broth, mushroom broth
Note: If you want a nutritional boost, add cooked lentils, quinoa, or chickpeas for added protein and fiber!
Instructions
- In a large pot or large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery (if you like celery) – cook it until it becomes soft and translucent, so about 5-7 minutes.
- Add minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute until you can smell the aroma.
- Add the ground beef (and ground pork if you want to mix it) and break it up with a wooden spoon – fry it until it’s browned and no longer pink.
- (optional): If you’re using wine, pour it into the pot and allow it to simmer until it reduces by half, for about 5 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and cook for a few minutes to remove the raw taste, then add the crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, salt, pepper, and still well to mix everything – Tip: If you have a food processor, consider using it at this step.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the sauce simmer for at least 1-1.5 hours, slow cooking and stirring occasionally – the longer it simmers, the richer the flavors will be.
- While the sauce simmers, bring another large pot of salted water to boil and cook the spaghetti (or your favorite pasta) until it’s al dente (check your packaging info) – then drain and set aside.
- Taste the Ragu and adjust the seasonings with more salt and pepper if needed – serve the bolognese sauce over cooked spaghetti and ladle the Ragu sauce over the top.
Want to make it taste even better? Garnish it with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley or fresh basil leaves – enjoy!
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