A rich and tasty oven-baked beef ragu the whole family will love. Serve with cooked pasta and freshly grated parmesan.
I've created a rich and moreish Oven Baked Beef Ragu that the whole family will love. Made with a base of the golden trio - onion, celery and carrot - the remaining ingredients are beef, pasta sauce and stock. It really couldn't get any simpler.
Ingredients notes:
- Vegetables: The simple base of onion, celery and carrot adds a lovely sweetness to the dish and allows the other components to shine.
- Beef: I used gravy beef. You can use any type of casserole beef.
- Pasta sauce: The sauce I used was flavoured with roasted capsicum and garlic which gave the dish a lovely depth of flavour. If you are using a simple tomato pasta sauce, feel free to add some crushed garlic and Italian seasoning to the vegetables.
How to make Oven Baked Beef Ragu:
Preheat the oven to 170° fan bake. Add olive oil to a large cast iron dish, then the celery, carrot and onion. Cook for a few minutes then push to the side.
Add the beef to the pan. Brown for a few minutes then stir through the veggies.
Pour in the pasta sauce. Add half a cup of water to the empty jar, place the lid back on and shake it around. Tip the contents into the dish, then stir through.
Pour in the beef stock, stir, then bring to a simmer. Place the lid on and bake for 90 minutes covered. After this time, stir and cook for another 15 minutes until the beef is tender.
Serve on top of hot, cooked pasta with a garnish of grated parmesan and chopped basil.
I really love a good ragu. Other great ragu recipes on my website include Slow Cooker Beef Ragu, Venison Ragu and Oven Baked Lamb Ragu which all taste amazing.
Recipe FAQs:
Yes! This meal will keep well in the freezer for three months if stored in an airtight container. When you want to use the meal, defrost it completely then reheat until piping hot. Serve with your favourite pasta or use it in a lasagne.
Absolutely. You could also make this with lamb shanks or diced lamb if you like. Another great option would be beef mince. I would brown the mince first, then add the vegetables as the second step.
This ragu absolutely could be made in the slow cooker. While I do have another recipe for Beef Ragu made in the slow cooker, that version uses a lot of different ingredients. The pasta sauce in this recipe is incredibly flavoursome meaning fewer ingredients while not compromising on flavour. Instead of placing the ragu in the oven, put it in the slow cooker for four hours on high or eight hours on low.
Storage:
Store any leftover beef ragu in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days or the freezer for up to three months. Defrost in the fridge overnight. Reheat until piping hot in the fridge or the microwave.
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Oven Baked Beef Ragu
A rich, oven baked beef ragu made from gravy beef, onions, carrots, celery, beef stock and garlic pasta sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 carrots, diced
- 3 celery sticks, diced
- 750g gravy or casserole beef, chopped
- 400g pasta sauce
- 1 cup beef stock
To serve
- 400g pasta, cooked
- Grated Parmesan
- Fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170°C fan bake.
- Add olive oil to a large cast iron casserole dish. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook for a few minutes.
- Push vegetables to the side and add the beef. Brown for a few minutes then stir through the veggies.
- Pour in the pasta sauce. Add half a cup of water to the sauce jar and shake it around to get the rest of the sauce out. Pour into the dish and mix together.
- Pour in the beef stock and stir again. Bring mixture to a simmer, cover and put into the oven.
- Bake for 90 minutes covered. Stir and then cook for another 15 minutes uncovered until beef is super tender.
- Serve on top of hot cooked pasta topped with fresh Parmesan and basil.
Notes
- I used my food processor to finely chop the onion, celery and carrots.
- I used one oxo cube with one cup of boiling water to make my beef stock.
- This can also be made in the slow cooker. Cook for four hours on high or eight hours on low.
- Any type of pasta would work especially thick pappardelle or rigatoni.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 433Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 1224mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 5gSugar: 8gProtein: 16g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
Donna says
No matter how I cook a slow cooked beef, it is always either rocks or falls apart and dry. What am I doing wrong please! I tried this one and cooked it to the letter, but noooooo, still not getting it nice and tender! Help meeeeeee pleeeeassssee!
VJ cooks says
Hi Donna, sorry to hear that. This recipe requires the meat to be browned in the pan first, then cooked in the oven for at least 1 hour 45 minutes. After this time, the meat should be tender but if it isn't, leave it in the oven and check every 15 minutes until the desired consistency is achieved.
Donna says
Welllll…it worked!! I was so happy with myself! Thank you so much. Delicious! So much so I have whipped up another one for my friend who is feeling a bit busy with children and a hubby who is recovering from surgery.
Question though, is braising steak ok to use?
VJ cooks says
Oh I'm so happy to hear that, Donna! And what a lovely thing to do for your friend, there's nothing like a hearty meal delivery when you're having a tough time. Totally fine to use braising steak. As always, just keep cooking until it's completely tender. Thanks for your feedback!
Nikkole says
Hi Vanja,
what could the celery be substituted with?
VJ cooks says
You can leave it out or add more onion.