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Week of 9/10/18

Beef Ragu
over roasted eggplant / zucchini rounds

Active: 40 min Total: 40 min
Original GF Paleo Vegetarian
Beef Ragu
This rustic dish takes advantage of fresh eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes which are often available in abundance at the end of the summer season.
Smarts: If you want to save time and / or want to make a thicker sauce, substitute canned, diced tomatoes instead of fresh in this recipe (use a 14 oz / 397 g can of diced tomatoes for 4 servings).
Tags
Low Calorie, Make Ahead
Proteins
Ground meat
Cuisines
European - Mediterranean
Save recipe
69

Ingredients

Metric
Servings:
4
Beef Ragu over Roasted Eggplant and Zucchini Rounds:
  • Onions, medium - 1 , chopped
  • Bell peppers, red or yellow - 1 , diced
  • Garlic - 4 cloves , chopped
  • Eggplant - 1 , peeled and sliced into rounds
  • Zucchini - 12 oz , sliced into rounds
  • Tomatoes - 1 lb , diced
  • Oil, olive - 2 Tbsp
  • Tomato paste - 3 Tbsp
  • Oregano, dried - 1 tsp
  • Basil, dried - 1 tsp
  • Red pepper flakes - 1/4 tsp
  • Beef, ground - 1 lb
  • Stock, any type - 1/2 cup

Prep

  1. Onions / Bell peppers / Garlic - (If prepping right before cooking, get oven heating before continuing with prep.) Prep as directed. Combine onions and bell peppers. Store garlic separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
  2. Eggplant / Zucchini / Tomatoes - Prep as directed and store separately. (Can be done up to 2 days ahead)

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Make

  1. Heat oven to 400F / 204C.
  2. Spread eggplant and zucchini out in a single layer on a sheet pan (use two if needed to prevent overlap). Brush vegetables on both sides with some oil and season with some salt and pepper.
  3. Roast eggplant and zucchini until tender, 20 to 30 minutes (depending on thickness of slices).
  4. While vegetables roast, heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil and then onions and bell peppers. Saute until vegetables are soft, 4 to 5 minutes.
  5. To onions and bell peppers, add garlic, tomato paste, dried oregano, dried basil, and red pepper flakes with a pinch of salt. Saute for 1 minute more.
  6. Add beef with a pinch of salt and stir for 4 to 5 minutes to get it started cooking.
  7. Stir in tomatoes and stock. Bring to a simmer. Simmer ragu until the beef is cooked through and the flavors have had time to develop, ~10 minutes.
  8. Taste ragu and season with some salt and pepper.
  9. Arrange roasted eggplant and zucchini on serving plates (bonus presentation points for overlapping / alternating them). Spoon ragu over top and enjoy!

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