RECIPE 02 · PASTA & RICE
Sunday beef ragù
This is a slow afternoon sauce: finely chopped vegetables, browned beef and a gentle simmer. Most of the work happens at the beginning, leaving you time to set the table while the sauce thickens.
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A richer beginning.
Ace Sabbah adds concentrated tomato flavour without turning the ragù into a thin tomato sauce. Let the vegetables soften properly and the beef brown before adding liquid.
Let’s cook.
Made with Ace Sabbah double-concentrated tomato paste.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 100 min
- Total
- 115 min
- Serves / makes
- 6
Times are approximate. 1 tbsp = 15 ml; 1 tsp = 5 ml. Oven temperatures are for a conventional oven.
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
750 g ground beef
4 tbsp Ace Sabbah double-concentrated tomato paste
400 g canned crushed tomatoes
400 ml low-sodium beef stock, plus more as needed
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp fine salt, or to taste
½ tsp black pepper
500 g dried tagliatelle
40 g Parmesan, to serve
Method
Soften the vegetables
Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrot and celery for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Brown the beef
Add the beef, breaking it into small pieces. Cook for 8–10 minutes until well browned. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes.
Let it simmer
Add the crushed tomatoes, stock, bay leaf, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then cook very gently, partly covered, for 75 minutes. Stir occasionally and add a little stock if it becomes dry. Ground beef must reach 71°C in the centre.
Finish dinner
Remove the bay leaf. Cook the tagliatelle according to its packet in salted water, reserving a mug of the cooking water. Toss the pasta with as much ragù as you like, loosening with a splash of pasta water. Serve with Parmesan.
At the stove
Use a wide, heavy pot so the beef browns instead of steaming. Brown it in two batches if your pot is small.
At the table
Spoon any extra ragù over roasted vegetables or a baked potato at another meal.
Internal cooking temperatures follow Health Canada guidance. Check the centre with a food thermometer.