Quick Beef Ragu on Pasta
Photography by Melanie Jenkins.
Adding Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar creates a depth of flavour in the tomato sauce that is usually only achieved with long, slow simmering; and cooking the beef separately makes this a super easy mid-week Italian meal.
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
800 grams rump steak
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Ragu
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 carrot, grated
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
250 grams button mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 x 400 gram tin crushed Italian tomatoes
1 cup beef stock
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
To serve
250 grams dried flat pasta
Parmesan for shaving
METHOD
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, garlic, carrot and rosemary. Season and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
Stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and the sugar until well combined. Sprinkle over the flour and stir constantly until the mixture thickens then simmer for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and stock, season and bring to the boil then reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley.
Beef: Season the rump on both sides. Heat a sauté pan with a little oil over a high heat and cook the steak for 2-3 minutes each side. Cooking time will depend on the thickness but the steak should be very rare through the middle. Rest lightly covered for 5 minutes.
Pasta: Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water according to the directions on the packet. Drain well.
To assemble: Slice the beef thinly against the grain, discarding any fat. Add to the hot sauce with any meat resting juices, then combine with the pasta.
To serve: Divide between warm bowls and top with shaved Parmesan.
Related Content
latest issue:
Issue #102
Before we say goodbye to the the warmer weather, we're sneaking in one last bite of moreish nibbles inside the latest issue of dish. When it's time to retreat indoors, welcome the changing of the seasons with bountiful early autumn produce cooked to perfection. Our Dinner for Six Section will have you well prepared for all your family and friends by the time Easter rolls around with two stellar menus to choose from. And when the holidays are over, our snappy midweek meals will be waiting for you in our Food Fast section. You'll want to keep a glass handy, too, our top-rated Aussie Shirazes are the perfect accompaniment at dinnertime.