Homemade tomato sauce (affiliate) was a staple in my Italian home growing up. I remember making dinner with my mother many times and making her a delicious, easy sauce. As I started having our own family, I wanted to increase the protein in our homemade tomato sauce (affiliate), so I decided to add ground beef. So today, I am sharing my go-to beef ragu recipe with you. It provides my family with protein, and with a side salad, it's a complete meal. Feel free to check this no-wine beef ragu recipe. This recipe is also great for make-ahead and freezer-friendly, perfect for any weeknight meal.
Key Takeaways
- The Easy Beef Ragu Recipe combines lean ground beef with vegetables and spices (affiliate) to create a protein-packed sauce.
- Prepare the sauce by sautéing the garlic, onions, celery, and carrots, then add the beef and tomatoes.
- Cook the ragu in a slow cooker (affiliate) for 3-4 hours for the best flavor and serve it with pasta or rice.
- You can store the cooked ragu in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Feel free to customize the recipe with wine, spicy elements, or low-carb ingredients.
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Ingredients for No Wine Beef Ragu Recipe
1 lb lean ground beef - I also made this recipe with ground turkey; check it out in the Easy Turkey Ragu Recipe.
2 garlic cloves
1 TBSP Olive Oil (affiliate)
⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
½ cup of small chopped carrots
½ cup of small chopped onion
½ cup of small chopped celery
1 TBSP dried parsley
1 TBSP dried basil
3 15 oz diced tomatoes can
1 TBSP tomato paste
Instructions
Below are the different steps to make this ragu recipe with beef.
Chop the carrots, celery, and onion, then set them aside.
Mince garlic and measure out red pepper flakes and olive oil (affiliate). Set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat, ad add olive oil (affiliate), red pepper flakes, and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.
Then, add the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for 2 minutes.
Now, add the ground beef. Break it up and brown for 5 minutes, and mix with the onion, celery, and carrots.
Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, and parsley. Stir well and then transfer to the slow cooker (affiliate).
Turn on low and cook for 3-4 hours, checking about every hour or so.
Let it sit out and then transfer it to a container to freeze or refrigerate.
Serve with egg noodles, penne pasta, cauliflower rice, or spaghetti.
Questions and Answers for this Easy Beef Ragu Recipe
This is a ragu without wine. Yes, you can add red wine. Also, if you choose to add wine, you will need only ½ cup for this amount of ground beef.
I would stick with a budget-friendly wine option like Merlot, Chianti, or Barbera. This recipe is for weeknight meals and doesn't require an expensive one.
You can make several different types. Try any of these variations.
Turkey ragu recipe: Replacing turkey (ground) will make this tomato sauce lighter and lower in fat. Great for summertime dinner.
Sausage ragu recipe: Visit my homemade sausage ragu recipe to learn how to make it. It is a little fattier, but so delicious. Be sure to remove the sausage casing and replace the ground beef with the sausage meat.
No, not at all; each ragu recipe can be made on the stovetop. The trick is to slow-cook for 45 minutes for a recipe this size.
To make it spicy, add 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes. I did a low-carb recipe that was a spicy low-carb version, but with pork sausage. Feel free to check it out.
To make it more low carb, Add greens - add fresh spinach or power greens and let it wilt in the sauce for 15 minutes before the end time in the slow cooker, and stir for extra greens and serve.
The smaller you make the celery, onion, and carrots, the quicker the recipe will cook.
If you place it in the refrigerator, it will last 3-4 days.
After cooking, you can freeze the food for up to 2 months.
The equipment is pretty easy. I used a saucepan, a cooking board, a chef's knife, a slow cooker, and a container or a gallon freezer bag if you want to place in the freezer for later.
Reveal
And here is what the recipe looks like after it finishes cooking.
Related Recipes:
Looking for other recipes like this recipe? Try these:
Easy Beef Ragu Recipe {slow cooker, gf, df}
- Total Time: 4 hours 17 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Ragu sauce create a great way to add protein to your pasta dish. This recipe is easy to make ahead and freeze and cook later.
Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon Olive Oil (affiliate)
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup of small chopped carrots
½ cup of small chopped onion
½ cup of small chopped celery
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried basil
3 15 oz diced tomatoes can
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Instructions
Chop the carrots, celery, and onion, then set them aside.
Mince garlic and measure out red pepper flakes and olive oil (affiliate). Set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat, ad add olive oil (affiliate), red pepper flakes, and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.
Then, add the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for 2 minutes.
Now, add the ground beef. Break it up and brown for 5 minutes and mix with the onion, celery, and carrots.
Add, the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, parsley. Stir well and then transfer to the slow cooker (affiliate).
Turn on low and cook for 3-4 hours checking about every hour or so.
Let it sit out and then transfer it to a container to freeze or refrigerate.
Serve with egg noodles, penne pasta, or spaghetti.
Equipment
Slow Cooker Crock-Pot 7 Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker, Stainless Steel
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Cutting Board Extra Large Bamboo 18"x12"
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- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours 7 minutes
- Category: sauce
- Method: slow cooker
- Cuisine: itailian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: cup
