Whole Wheat Pasta with Lamb and Mushroom Ragu

This recipe utilizes “the blend,” a technique where ground meat is replaced with a 50-50 mixture of ground meat and ﬁnely diced mushrooms. The mushrooms add the savory “umami” taste that meat is known for, while helping reduce saturated fat and calories, and increase the proportion of vegetables in the meal. These rich ﬂavors pair especially well with whole wheat pasta.

Filed Under: Mediterranean Diet, Main dishes, Dinner, Wheat, Staff Favorites

Rating

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Active time

45 minutes

Total time

45 minutes

Yield

5 servings

Serving Size

1/5 recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

8 ounces mushrooms, ﬁnely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces ground lamb

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup dry red wine

1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree, no salt added

12 ounces whole wheat pasta (any shape)

Instructions

Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the oil to coat the pan, then add the onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute, until fragrant. Add the lamb, oregano, fennel, and salt, and cook until the lamb is cooked through (about 5-10 minutes), using a spatula or spoon to break up the meat and combine it with the spices and veggies.
Add the wine and let simmer until the wine is nearly evaporated, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the tomato puree and stir, then let simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to the package instructions, removing it about one minute early (“al dente” style). Drain (but don’t rinse) the pasta, then add it to the pot with the sauce and stir to combine, until all of the noodles are coated.

An Oldways recipe, courtesy of Kelly Toups