Creamy polenta with beef ragu
Buttery, parmesan-rich polenta under a slow-simmered beef and tomato ragu, cozy Italian comfort that costs next to nothing.
- 65 min total
- 35 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 6
- About $2.02 a serving
- 460 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 6 servings.
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb 85/15 ground beef
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 1½ cups cornmeal
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, torn (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leave
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 6 cups water
Each serving has about 460 calories, 22 g protein, 47 g carbs and 21 g fat, and costs about $2.02 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No 85/15 ground beef? 90/10 ground beef works.
- No crushed tomatoes? Diced tomatoes work.
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the onion and carrot and the garlic.
Dice. Dicing means cutting food into small, even cubes, usually a quarter to half an inch across. Pieces the same size cook at the same speed, so nothing burns while the rest catches up.
How you’ll know: Your pieces are little cubes about the size of a chickpea, and they all look close to the same.
Mince. Mincing means chopping something into the tiniest pieces you can, smaller than a grain of rice. Tiny pieces melt into the dish, so you get the flavor without biting into a chunk of garlic.
How you’ll know: Every piece is tiny and about the same size, and the pile starts to look almost like a paste.
Heat the oil in a large over medium and cook the onion and carrot 6 minutes, until soft.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Medium heatTimer: 6 min
Turn the heat to medium-high, add the beef, and cook 7 to 8 minutes, breaking it up, until no pink is left. Spoon off the fat.
Medium-high heatTimer: 7 min 30 sec
Food safety: Ground beef, pork and lamb are done at 160°F. When it’s cooked through there’s no pink left anywhere in the pan.
Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano and pepper flakes for 1 minute.
Medium heat
Add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Turn the heat to low and 25 minutes, , stirring now and then.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Lid ajar. Lid ajar means resting the lid on the pot slightly off-center, leaving a small gap. Some steam escapes, so the sauce thickens and doesn’t boil over, while most of the heat stays in.
How you’ll know: A thin wisp of steam drifts out of the gap, and the pot bubbles gently without spilling.
Low heatTimer: 25 min
Meanwhile, bring the water and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a large over high.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
High heat
Pour the cornmeal in a thin stream while , then turn the heat to low and cook 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often, until thick and creamy.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Low heatTimer: 22 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: Pour slowly and keep whisking so it can’t clump. It spits as it thickens, so stir with a long spoon.Stir the butter and parmesan into the polenta.
Fish out the bay leaf, spoon the polenta into bowls, top with the ragu, and scatter basil on top.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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