RECIPE: Comforting meaty ragu in less than 30 minutes
Comfort food needn’t take hours to prepare — not even a rich, meaty ragu. Instead of spending half a day stirring a pot of sauce, take a few shortcuts to get a meal that’s quick enough for a weeknight.
Start with the meat. You’ll want to use ground meat, beef in this case, for the speediest cooking time. To build depth of flavor, press the meat into a thin layer in the bottom of a hot Dutch oven and let it cook undisturbed. This method effectively “sears” the meat like a burger, developing an umami-packed brown crust. For even more umami, stir tomato paste and garlic- and chile-packed harissa into the meat and let them thoroughly caramelize in the pot with the heat. Giving these two pastes time to caramelize helps to develop long-cooked flavor in a matter of minutes.
For the saucy element, add fully pureed tomatoes, which most effectively meld with the meat to form a cohesive sauce. I prefer bright-flavored uncooked tomato passata (also labeled strained tomatoes) because its acidity balances the rich ground beef. Let it simmer for 10 minutes before adding cooked, drained pasta like bucatini or linguine and a big splash of its starchy cooking water to help the sauce cling to the pasta.
Quick Ragu
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta water and to taste
- 1 pound long dried pasta, such as bucatini or linguine
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
- 1 pound 85% lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons harissa, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (24-ounce) jar tomato passata or 2 3/4 cups strained tomatoes
- On the side: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
- While the water is heating and pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the beef and, using a wooden spoon, press into a single layer across the bottom of the pot. Season the beef with 1 teaspoon salt and let cook, undisturbed, until browned on the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the harissa and tomato paste. Use the wooden spoon to break the meat up into small pieces and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Continue to stir until the tomato paste caramelizes and the oil in the pot turns red, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato passata and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and flavorful, 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and harissa if needed.
- Add the pasta and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Cook, stirring, until the sauce clings to the pasta. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the sauce is too thick for your liking. Drizzle with additional oil and serve topped with Parmesan.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, based on 4: 743 calories (percent of calories from fat, 22), 42 grams protein, 102 grams carbohydrates, 13 grams total sugars, 7 grams fiber, 18 grams total fat (4 grams saturated), 70 milligrams cholesterol, 724 milligrams sodium.Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
