One‑pan beef mince ragu with dried tagliatelle
Speedy, satisfying beef mince ragu tossed through tagliatelle — ready in under 45 minutes for a proper midweek supper.
This one‑pan beef mince ragu is all about maximum flavour with minimum faff — perfect for a midweek supper when you need something filling and fast. Grated courgette and chestnut mushrooms bulk out the sauce so it’s economical yet satisfying.
Serve it straight from the pan into bowls with a drizzle of good olive oil, or scatter over grated Parmesan if you’re feeling indulgent. It’s a brilliant, no‑fuss dinner that feels like you’ve tried a bit harder than you have.
Ingredients
- 500 g beef mince
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 brown onion — finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed
- 1 carrot — large, finely diced
- 1 courgette — medium, grated
- 150 g chestnut mushrooms — sliced
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 30 g tomato purée — about 2 tbsp
- 150 ml beef stock
- 5 ml dried oregano
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 0 ml dried chilli flakes — optional
- sea salt — to taste
- black pepper — to taste
- 320 g dried tagliatelle
- 15 g fresh parsley — roughly chopped
Equipment
- large saucepan
- grater
- colander
- measuring spoons
Instructions
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add a generous pinch of sea salt and the dried tagliatelle and cook according to the packet until just al dente (about 8–10 minutes). Before draining, reserve 100 ml of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the brown onion and carrot and fry, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic cloves and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant — don’t let it burn.
Turn the heat up to high, add the beef mince and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until well browned with no pink remaining, 6–8 minutes. If the pan becomes very wet, tip off a little excess liquid — you want browning, not stewing.
Add the chestnut mushrooms and grated courgette and fry for a further 4 minutes until the mushrooms release their moisture and it evaporates.
Stir in the tomato purée, dried oregano, smoked paprika and dried chilli flakes and fry for 1 minute. Add the tinned chopped tomatoes and beef stock, bring to a gentle simmer and leave to bubble uncovered for 10 minutes so the sauce reduces and thickens.
Taste and season with sea salt and black pepper. Stir in most of the fresh parsley, then add the drained tagliatelle to the pan with a splash of the reserved pasta water and toss to combine over a minute so the sauce clings to the pasta. Divide between plates and sprinkle over the remaining parsley to serve.
Tips
- If your mince is very lean and the pan looks dry while browning, add a teaspoon of olive oil — too much liquid stops browning.
- Grate the courgette into a tea towel and squeeze out excess moisture only if your courgette is very watery; otherwise add it as-is to keep the sauce silky.
- Make a day ahead: the ragu flavours deepen overnight. Reheat gently with a splash of water or stock and toss through freshly cooked pasta.
- If you prefer a smoother sauce, blitz half the tinned tomatoes briefly with a hand blender before adding to the pan.
- Leftovers freeze well in portions for up to 3 months — defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Substitutions
beef mince → pork mince or a 50:50 beef and pork mix, same quantity
Stays closedried tagliatelle → penne or fusilli, same quantity (320 g)
Stays closebeef stock → vegetable stock, same quantity (150 ml)
Noticeably differentbeef mince → plant-based mince (e.g. soya or pea protein), same quantity
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 705
- Calories
- 43 g
- Protein
- 65 g
- Carbs
- 21 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 650 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes — use gluten-free pasta. Check the tomato purée and stock cube labels for hidden gluten if using packaged stock.
How can I make the sauce ahead for a crowd?
Double the recipe and cook the sauce fully. Cool, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 48 hours or freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Reheat and toss with freshly cooked pasta.
My sauce is too thin — how do I thicken it?
Simmer uncovered until reduced. Stir in a spoonful of tomato purée or add some drained, cooked lentils to thicken and bulk it out.
Can I use frozen vegetables instead of fresh?
Yes — add frozen mushrooms or grated courgette straight to the pan after the mince is browned and cook a little longer to evaporate excess water.
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