Hidden veg ragu
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Hidden veg ragu

By Melissa Thompson – Journalist and food writer

Contains pork – recipe is for non-Muslims/non-pork eaters.

Have a veg dodger in the family? This ‘hidden’ veg ragu packs in celery, carrots and tomatoes with pork and beef mince to make a flavour-packed family meal.

  • Prep:10 mins
    Cook:1 hrs 20 mins
  • Serves 6
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 281
  • fat 16g
  • saturates 5g
  • carbs 12g
  • sugars 0g
  • fibre 4g
  • protein 20g
  • salt 0.6g

Ingredients

  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 red onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 white onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
  • 2 small carrots, roughly chopped
  • 2½ tbsp olive oil
  • 250g beef mince
  • 250g pork mince
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 400g can plum tomatoes
  • 400g tomato passata
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 400ml chicken or beef stock
  • cooked short pasta, to serve

Method

  1. Tip the garlic cloves into a food processor with the onions, celery and carrots. Blitz until finely chopped. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, and fry the veg mix until soft and translucent, about 20 mins.

  2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a second pan and fry all the mince until starting to brown, about 15-20 mins. Stir the vinegar into the mince, then season and stir into the fried vegetable mix.

  3. Tip in the tomatoes, passata, tomato purée and stock. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 1 hr. After 30 mins (or once the oil separates), remove the lid so the ragu reduces and thickens. To freeze, leave to cool completely, then pack into freezerproof containers. Will keep frozen for up to three months. Serve over cooked short pasta.

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