Merlot Infused Garden-Fresh Veggie & Sweet Italian Sausage Ragu
This ragu makes a regular appearance in my weekly menu planning every season of the year. Why?? It is so easy, delicious & I hide veggies in it like a crazy woman stuffing $$ in every pocket while in one of the $$ blowing cases ((do you know what I am talking about?))!!
I mean, just look at all the veggies & garden-fresh herbs I crammed into this ragu:
I particularly love this meal because it is low-carb & by taking a few extra (& simple) steps it can be made low-fat too ((yay!!)). Here are the steps I take to lower the fat:
- ((obvious)) – select the lowest fat ground beef possible (97:3 is a great option)
- chicken & turkey breast are on excellent alternative to beef ((I didn’t use that this time because I had pre-cooked ground beef that NEEDED to be used))
- chicken/turkey sausage are also great substitutes
- once the meat ((beef and/or Italian sausage)) is browned, drain* it & lay it out on several layers of paper towels so that even more fat can be extracted
- after the paper towels have done their magic, place the meat in a baggie or a lidded container & stick it in the fridge. Why? even more fat will collect on the sides and bottom of the container
- when sautéing the veggies, coat the bottom of the stock pot with a tiny bit of oil by placing 1/2 t of oil on a paper towel and wiping the bottom & sides of the pot with said paper towel
- Don’t add any more oil to the sauce (most ragu’s add olive oil)
*This week’s ‘Tip of the Week’ will provide a simple way to remove a lot of fat from meat without holding a big heavy pot oven a tiny can, so get ready!
In this ragu, I get my flavor from a bounty of fresh veggies, herbs, seasonings, Merlot & several hours of stove top cooking on a low simmer.
**One last suggestion before we get to the recipe: buy the best Sweet Italian Sausage you can find (LOVERA’S Sweet Italian Sausage is sold at CREST!!). In addition, use high quality dried herbs – purchase from a reputable online store if you can’t find them locally.
- 1 lb lean ground beef, browned & drained (chicken & turkey will work great too)
- 1 lb sweet Italian sausage, browned & drained (I get my sausage at Lovera's Italian Grocery Store in Krebs)
- 1/2 medium bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 medium sweet onion, finely diced
- 4 medium carrots, unpeeled & finely diced
- 6 celery stalks & leaves, finely diced
- 2-3 large garlic cloves, finely diced
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (basil garlic flavor)
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (basil garlic flavor)
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 8 oz Merlot
- water
- 1/4 - 1/3 c dry Italian seasoning (I use Lovera's special seasoning blend)
- 1 T steakhouse seasoning (I use McCormick's)
- 1 T sugar
- 2/3 c fresh parsley (flat-leaf or curly), leaves removed from stems & chopped
- 2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves removed from stems & chopped
- 8-10 sprigs of oregano, leaves removed from stems & chopped
- 8-10 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed from stems & chopped
- 10-12 sweet basil leaves, chopped
- sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
- * If beef & sausage are not already browned: In a large pot, brown beef. Once browned, remove & drain according to suggested methods in this post. Repeat same steps with the sweet Italian sausage. Using a paper towel, wipe out any residual fat from browning meat but do not clean the pot.
- Add veggies (not garlic) to the pot and cook for 5-10 minutes on medium flame, until soft. Add garlic & cook 2-3 additional minutes.
- Add all sauce ingredients, stir and add up to 28 oz of water depending on desired thickness.
- Add dry seasonings & simmer on low for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Last, add fresh herbs, stir & simmer on low 2-3 additional hours.
- Season with s & p to taste.
- Serve over pasta or if your are a carb-watcher like me, eat it without pasta (YUM!!).