I have thought about making a ragout for months, but have always pushed it off because I was afraid of the work that would come with finding and using three different kinds of meat. However, last week I finally decided to bite the bullet and make a ragout, and while the recipe is slightly more laborious than other recipes I have shared, I believe it is worth it. Don't let this scare you off because the recipe is actually incredibly simple. It's a great thing to make for a Sunday night dinner with leftovers to sustain you for Monday and Tuesday's lunch.
What's on your grocery list?
- 1 bag of Celery Hearts
- 1 package Fettucine Pasta
- 1/2 lb some kind of lean beef (I used stew meat)
- 1 medium Yellow onion
- Baby carrots or one large carrot
- Organic chicken stock
- 1/3 lb Pork tenderloin
- 1 package Pancetta
- Parmesan
- Fresh tomatoes
- Red Wine (I bought the cheapest wine I could find at TJ's)
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 4-5
Ingredients
- 1 Stalk or bunch of celery
- 1 Package Fettucine Pasta
- 1/2 lb Lean beef (I used lean beef stew meat)
- 1 yellow onion
- Handful of baby carrots or 1 large carrot
- 2 cups organic chicken stock
- 1/3 lb Pork tenderloin
- 1 package Pancetta
- Handful of fresh tomatoes
- 3/4 cup Red Wine
- Parmesan
- 1/4 cup butter
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder
Instructions:
I recommend prepping the veggies and meat in advance, in order to minimize time spent cooking after a long day of work or school. To prep, chop up one stalk or bunch of celery, then dice the onion, and carrot into small pieces. Once all veggies are well chopped, set them aside. Mince 1/3 a lb of pork tenderloin and a little less than 1/2 pound of lean beef to the best of your ability, the smaller the pieces the better. The meat measurements can be eyeballed, as a little extra meat will only make your pasta better.
Once you are ready to cook the full recipe - Begin with making the tomato puree, which is actually quite simple. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add in 6 cherry tomatoes and boil until skin splits, then remove from water. Peel skin from tomatoes, discard skin, and add tomatoes to a blender or food processor. Blend about 30 seconds, or until liquid consistency is achieved, and set puree aside.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet, adding in celery, carrots, and onion, and cooking for about 8 minutes or until onions become opaque. Next, add minced meat and pancetta to veggies, and cook until meat is browned. While meat is cooking I recommend using a spatula to break up any chunks that remain, because the smaller the pieces of meat the better.
After meat is fully browned, turn heat to Medium-High and add salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Pour in wine, continuing to cook until wine has evaporated. Then combine chicken stock and 2 Tbsp of the tomato puree in a measuring cup, stir well, and pour into the meat.
Turn heat to low, cover, and let sauce simmer for two hours. When the sauce is nearly finished, cook pasta noodles then add to the sauce tossing until all noodles are coated. Serve pasta with parmesan cheese and enjoy.
I love this hearty dish and while I enjoyed the gluten free fetuccine from Trader Joe's the egg noodles offered a slightly unique texture so if you have any good suggestions for GF Fetttucinne leave me a note!
XX Delaney
