This beef ragu and pasta recipe has a ton of flavor with only a few pantry ingredients. Using ground meat allows the beef ragû sauce to cook quickly, perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner.
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Key Ingredients for the beef ragû with spaghetti
- Ground beef
- Onion and garlic
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Tomato paste
- Tomatoes and bell pepper
- Pasta: Spaghetti or fettuccine
- Fresh parsley and grated cheese for topping)
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
How to make the beef ragu
- Cook pasta – Boil spaghetti until al dente, drain, and set aside.
- Make the ragu sauce – Sauté onion, garlic, and bell pepper in olive oil with salt and pepper. Add ground beef, cook until browned, then stir in tomato paste and diced tomatoes; simmer until thickened.
- Combine & serve – Toss pasta with sauce, then garnish with parsley and grated cheese.
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com

Beef Ragû with Spaghetti
by eatwell101
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 25 min
This beef ragu recipe with pasta is a quick dinner full of flavor, with only a few pantry ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound (220g) ground beef
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 bell pepper, cut in strips
- 1/2 pound (450g) spaghetti or fettucine
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Grated cheese, for topping
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti according to package directions; drain and return to the pot.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft. Count 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add ground beef to the skillet breaking up with a wooden spoon, and cook until browned 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and cook until slightly darkened for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juice and simmer until the liquid is slightly thickened about 4 to 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Finally, add the sauce to the spaghetti and toss to combine. Serve the beef ragu spaghetti sprinkled with parsley and grated cheese.
Recipe Notes
- You can add dry white wine or broth to the beef ragû sauce, and simmer a few minutes longer to thicken the sauce to the desired consistency.
- You can replace parsley with basil.
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