When fresh basil and oregano are in the garden, there is nothing better than an Italian dish to savor the flavors. And you can’t have Italian meat sauce without red wine. This recipe is the perfect excuse to open a bottle. The alcohol in the wine cooks off but leaves an amazing flavor.
So, without further ado – Red Wine Ragu!
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Sweet Onion, chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Carrot, finely chopped
- 2 stalk Celery, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 lb Ground Beef (preferably grass fed)
- 2 tsp Sea Salt
- 2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 cup Red Wine (dry wine such as Merlot)*
- 1 can (28oz) Whole Peeled Tomatoes
- 4 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 2 tbsp oregano leaves, chopped
- 2 tbsp Basil Leaves, chopped
- 1 tbsp Parsley, chopped
- 1/8 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
- Your choice of cooked noodles or zoodles
Instructions:
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Cook for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
- Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, cook for 8 minutes or until meat is cooked through.
- Add the red wine and cook down 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients (except noodles), using a spoon to break up the tomatoes. Cover and simmer on low 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and remove lid to allow to thicken a few minutes before tossing with noodles or zoodles to serve.
*You can substitute equal parts red cooking wine or omit if you prefer.
