Weeknight Ragu
Weeknight Ragu ★★★★★
There is just something so satisfying and soul comforting about a homemade pasta sauce. We loaded ours up with fresh vegetables and grass-fed beef, making it hearty, nourishing, and full of flavor. While it’s perfect for a cozy Sunday dinner, this sauce also shines in its versatility—serve it traditionally over pasta, layer it into a gluten-free lasagna, spoon it over fluffy rice, or use it as a base for other creative meals. Make a big batch, enjoy it throughout the week as leftovers, or freeze what’s left to have a delicious, ready-to-go option for a rainy day.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- 2 stalks celery finely diced
- 2 large carrots washed and peeled. Finely dice 1, grate 1
- 1 zucchini grated on the large holes of a box grater
- 1 yellow squash grated on the large holes of a box grater
- 2 large garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 lb organic grass-fed ground beef
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1-28 ounce can organic crushed tomatoes
- 1- 14 ounce can organic crushed tomatoes
Optional garnish:
- Fresh basil leaves
- Crushed red pepper
- Freshly grated parmesan
Instructions
- Wash, chop and prepare all of your vegetables.
- Set a large sauce pot over medium to high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add in all of the chopped vegetables except for the garlic. Stir around to toss well. Add a teaspoon of salt and let the vegetables cook for 10 minutes.
- After about 10 minutes, add the ground beef to the mix. Break up and mix in well. Season the mixture with the garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Continue to stir and cook the beef for 8 minutes.
- After 8 minutes the beef will be almost completely cooked. At this time add in the tomato paste and your prepared chopped garlic. Stir around and let cook down for about a minute.
- Lastly, add in the crushed tomatoes and gently stir around. Add in another 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few turn of fresh cracked pepper. Bring to a gentle boil. Turn down the heat to a low simmer and cover. Let cook for about 45 minutes to an hour.
- Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve over your pasta of choice. Enjoy!
Notes
*Don’t be afraid to let this sauce go for longer than an hour if you have the time. Just make sure to give it the occasional stir.
*This recipe is even better the next day for leftovers.
*This recipe is even better the next day for leftovers.
Share This Post:
Your Wellness Deep Dive
At Taylor Dukes Wellness, we are always dreaming up new ways to serve you on your health journey.
- Be the first to learn about new healthy living resources, blog posts, and exclusive TDW offerings by getting on my insider list.
- Find healthy living products with ingredients you can trust – the same ones I personally use for myself and my family – in the TDW Shop. Check out our protein powders, electrolytes, supplements, and more!
- Get personalized support through the TDW Community. When you become a member, you get access to functional medicine expertise from me and my team, functional medicine lab testing and 1:1 consults, a digital library of exclusive wellness content, live monthly Q&As with me, and so much more!
