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Week of 12/7/15

Beef Ragu over Zucchini Noodles
and chopped salad with caesar dressing

Active: 40 min Total: 8 hr 40 min
Original GF Paleo Vegetarian
Beef Ragu over Zucchini Noodles
Meaty pasta sauce known as ragu gets its flavor from a long, slow simmer. To get those rich flavors in a weeknight friendly dish, we offer an option to finish the sauce in a slow cooker so the flavors develop while you go on about your day. Serve the sauce over zucchini noodles with a caeser salad for this paleo-friendly Italian dinner.
Smarts: We double the ragu to use tomorrow's stuffed sweet potatoes!
Dependency
Southwestern Beef Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Tags
Make Ahead, Slow Cooker, Instant Pot Friendly, Freezer Friendly
Proteins
Ground meat, Sausage
Cuisines
European - Mediterranean
Save recipe
242

Ingredients

Metric
Servings:
4
Beef Ragu (enough for 2 meals):
  • Onions, small - 1 , chopped
  • Garlic - 4 cloves , chopped
  • Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
  • Oregano, dried - 1 tsp
  • Beef, ground and lean (sub ground pork or turkey) - 1 lb
  • Sausage, Italian mild or spicy - 1 lb
  • Tomato sauce (28 oz / 794 g can) - 1 can
  • Stock, any type - 1/2 cup
  • Vinegar, red or white wine - 1 tsp
Zucchini Noodles with Beef Ragu:
  • Zucchini - 1 lb
  • Beef ragu (ingredients listed separately) - ~3 cups
Chopped Salad with Caesar Dressing:
  • Garlic - 1 clove , chopped
  • Anchovy filets (opt) - 1/2 , mashed
  • Oil, olive - 3 Tbsp
  • Mustard, Dijon - 2 tsp
  • Lemons - 1/2 , juice of
  • Lettuce, romaine - 1 head , chopped
  • Tomatoes, roma - 4 , chopped
  • Olives, black or green - 1/4 cup , chopped
  • Radishes - 6 , thinly sliced

Prep

  1. Onions / Garlic (for ragu and salad) - Prep as directed. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
  2. Caesar dressing - Mash anchovy filets with a fork. Combine with garlic (the portion for the salad), mustard, lemon juice and olive oil. If you prefer a smooth dressing, you can blend it with an immersion blender. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
  3. If making ragu in slow cooker: - Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add cooking oil and then onions to heated oil. Saute until onions are soft, ~4 minutes. Add garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant, ~1 minute. Add beef and sausage and season with some salt and pepper. Cook until meat is browned, ~5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of a slow cooker. Add tomato sauce, stock and vinegar. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
  4. Lettuce / Tomatoes / Olives / Radishes - Prep as directed.
  5. Zucchini - Turn into 'noodles' with a spiralizer or peel off strips with a peeler.

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Make

  1. If making ragu on stovetop: - Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add cooking oil and then onions to heated oil. Saute until onions are soft, ~4 minutes. Add garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant, ~1 minute. Add beef and sausage and season with some salt and pepper. Cook until meat is browned, ~5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, stock and vinegar. Bring to a simmer and allow sauce to simmer for at least 15 minutes but as long as an hour. (The longer the sauce simmers, the more the flavors will develop.)
  2. Heat a wok or saute pan over medium heat. Add cooking oil and zucchini to heated oil with a pinch of salt. Saute until zucchini is tender but still has some crunch, 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Taste ragu and season with salt and pepper if needed.
  4. Toss lettuce with tomatoes, olives, radishes and dressing.
  5. Top zucchini noodles with half the ragu (remember to save the other half for Tuesday). Serve with salad on the side and enjoy!

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