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1. Finely dice the onion, carrot, and celery, and mince the garlic. Grate the parmesan cheese if not pre-grated and chop the fresh basil or parsley.
1 piece yellow onion,
1 piece carrot,
1 piece celery stalk,
3 clove garlic clove,
0.5 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated,
0.2 cup fresh basil or parsley (garnish)
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2. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the lean ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until well browned and most of the liquid has evaporated.
1 tbsp olive oil,
1 lb lean ground beef (90% or leaner)
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3. Stir in the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened and starting to caramelize.
1 piece yellow onion,
1 piece carrot,
1 piece celery stalk
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4. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste to the pot and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and slightly darkened in color.
3 clove garlic clove,
2 tbsp tomato paste
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5. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and beef broth, then add the dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Stir well to combine and bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
2 cup crushed tomatoes,
3 cup low-sodium beef broth,
1 tsp dried oregano,
1 tsp dried basil,
0.5 tsp dried thyme,
0.2 tsp red pepper flakes,
1 tsp salt,
0.5 tsp black pepper,
1 piece bay leaf
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6. Stir the short pasta into the pot, ensuring it is submerged in the liquid. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover partially with a lid, and simmer, stirring every few minutes to prevent sticking, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce has thickened.
12 oz short pasta (such as penne or rigatoni)
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7. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in most of the grated parmesan cheese until melted and the sauce is glossy. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
1 tsp salt,
0.5 tsp black pepper,
1 piece bay leaf,
0.5 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
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8. Serve the beef ragu pasta hot, topped with the remaining parmesan cheese and scattered with chopped fresh basil or parsley.
0.5 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated,
0.2 cup fresh basil or parsley (garnish)
