Easy Ground Beef & Mushroom Ragu Sauce
This delicious ragu recipe is made with ground beef, mushrooms, tomatoes, and more to create a hearty sauce!
It tastes like it has been simmering all day, but takes less than 30 minutes to make stovetop.
It’s the perfect sauce to serve with pasta, spaghetti squash, zoodles, or polenta and can easily be made vegetarian!
about this easy ground beef & mushroom ragu sauce recipe
There are few meals more satisfying to my family than pasta served with a hearty sauce!
And I’m happy to oblige since I can add plenty of veggies to the sauce, and get dinner on the table quickly & easy.
If you’re wondering how to get out of a dinner rut, then shaking things up with a new (but easy) recipe like this can be a great place to start.
Around here, we’re big fans of 30-minute recipes and this healthy mushroom ragu recipe is definitely one of our favorites.
It’s made with simple, real ingredients without any fillers or preservatives and I love how versatile it is.
It can be served over pasta, spaghetti squash, zoodles, or polenta for a simple, satisfying weeknight dinner.
process & tips
Like my go-to tomato cream sauce, this ragu sauce recipe has minimal prep steps to help you get dinner done fast.
Simply sauté your chopped veggies, brown the beef, add the tomatoes, tomato paste and spices and let simmer.
And before you know it you’ll have a delicious, flavorful, beef ragu recipe to serve over top any pasta or veggie noodle you like.
My biggest tip is to chop the onion and mushrooms very, very finely so the texture is less noticeable when cooked with the beef.
Alternatively, you can use a food processor to chop the onions and mushrooms into very fine pieces.
This method is a great choice for children who have a difficult time with the texture of vegetables, since they cook down nicely into the sauce.
what to serve with easy ground beef & mushroom ragu sauce
Serve over spaghetti or any other shape of pasta you like.
Also works great for a low carb option, like ladling it over zoodles or cooked spaghetti squash.
As well as a combination of the two – so a mixture of half pasta and half zoodle / spaghetti squash for an extra veggie boost.
You can even use any leftover sauce to make an easy lasagna!
Meal prep tip: I usually roast a spaghetti squash over the weekend so I have it on hand during the week to use as a pasta alternative.
how to store & freeze leftover ragu meat sauce
Homemade tomato sauce keeps well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, in a sealed container.
This sauce also freezes beautifully, either in a gallon ziplock bag, or individually in mason jars.
You can store it in a sealed freezer friendly container for up to 2-3 months.
ingredients & modifications
Ground beef: The type of ground beef is up to you, either a 95% lean ground beef or traditional 80% lean ground beef will work. The extra fat from an 80% lean ground beef will lend extra flavor and be more tender.
If you prefer not to use red meat, dark meat ground turkey makes a great substitute.
And, if you prefer a vegetarian version, simply double the mushrooms and omit the beef.
Mushrooms: I probably make a version of this sauce at least one a week. I use different veggies depending on the season. Mushrooms are my fall and winter vegetable of choice. Zucchini is also a great choice in the summer months.
Onion: The onion adds so much flavor to homemade tomato sauce. But if you don’t like or can’t eat onions, feel free to skip them in this recipe.
Tomato paste: Don’t skip the tomato paste, it’s what allows the sauce to thicken up.
Crushed tomatoes: The crushed tomatoes add lots of delicious flavor and moisture without watering down your sauce.
Garlic: I love the flavor of fresh garlic in this recipe. But you can also use granulated garlic powder in it’s place if you prefer.
Olive oil: I like the flavor of olive oil best in this recipe. But any neutral oil will work in this soup, such as avocado oil, vegetable oil or canola.
Kosher salt: Look for kosher salt with the regular iodized salt at the grocery store (it has a subtler flavor). Use less iodized salt if that’s what you have on hand.
If you’re looking for more easy pasta sauce recipes you’ll also love this easy Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce and this Pesto Rosso recipe too!
more ground beef recipes
Instant Pot Minestrone (No Beans)
Southwest Beef & Sweet Potato Skillet
30-Minute Beef & Butternut Paleo Chili (+ Vegetarian Option)
Slow Cooker Easy Beef and Bean Chili
this recipe is…
Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreePaleoWhole30
I hope you’ll make this Easy Ground Beef & Mushroom Ragu Sauce recipe soon.
If you do, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me at @realfoodwholelife so I can see!
Easy Ground Beef & Mushroom Ragu Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, very finely chopped
- 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, very finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 pound lean ground beef, grass-fed if possible
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
- cooked pasta, spaghetti squash, zoodles, or polenta for serving
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, mushroom, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently until the onions and mushrooms are softened and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, beef, ¼ teaspoon salt, and the Italian seasoning. Turn the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the beef is browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and ½ teaspoon salt, stirring to combine. Bring to a bubble, then reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
- Serve over pasta, spaghetti squash, zoodles, or polenta.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
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I made this last night over polenta and it was amazing! I used fire roasted crushed tomatoes, the sauce turned out very flavorful and i have enough sauce leftover for a second dinner!
Laura, mmmm, you’re version sounds amazing! Definitely making this with fire roasted tomatoes next time. 🙂
Made this for dinner last night. Yum! Thanks, Robyn, for the ways in which you share your gifts and how that blesses others!
Oh, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Louise! 🙂
My picky eater kids (and husband) had no idea there were mushrooms in this and they really liked it. They still don’t know because I want them to eat it again 🙂 Very delicious!
Stacey, yay, so happy to hear you and your crew enjoyed this one! My fam is the same way–not mushroom fans, but they devour this recipe. I definitely call that a win. Thanks for the rating and review!