MaMoyo’s Slow Cooked Beef Pasta

Ingredients

• 500 g ground beef mince (fried until browned)
• mixed spices (to taste)
• 1 cup mixed vegetables (finely chopped (e.g., peppers, onions))
• 2 tomatoes (chopped or pureed)
• 1 tsp Maggi seasoning (or to taste)
• 1 cup beef stock
• 0.5 cup water (as needed for simmering)
• 1 tsp ketchup (to balance flavor)
• 300 g penne pasta (cooked according to package instructions)
• 0.25 cup pasta water (reserved from boiling pasta)
• 0.5 cup cheese (grated)
• Italian herbs (for garnish)
• 1 apple (for salad)
• 0.5 cucumber (for salad)
• 1 carrots (for salad)
• 0.25 onion (for salad)
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise (for salad dressing)
• 1 tbsp salad cream (for salad dressing)

Steps

1. 1

   In a large pot, fry the ground beef mince until browned.

2. 2

   Add your choice of spices to the meat and stir well.

3. 3

   Add the chopped vegetables to the pot and sauté with the meat.

4. 4

   Stir in the chopped tomatoes, Maggi seasoning, beef stock, and water.

5. 5

   Add a teaspoon of ketchup to the mixture to balance the flavors.

6. 6

   Cover the pot and let it simmer on a very low heat for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

7. 7

   While the meat is simmering, prepare the salad by chopping the apple, cucumber, carrots, and onion.

8. 8

   Mix the salad vegetables with mayonnaise and salad cream, then set aside.

9. 9

   After 90 minutes, stir grated cheese into the beef mixture.

10. 10

    Add the cooked pasta and a splash of reserved pasta water to the pot.

11. 11

    Toss everything together until the pasta is well coated and finish with a sprinkle of Italian herbs.

Notes

The long, slow simmer is essential for developing the deep flavor of the beef. Ensure the heat is kept very low to prevent the sauce from drying out.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• beef
• pasta
• slow-cooked
• ragu
• dinner
• comfort food