Italian Ragu

For ragu, it's necessary to mince the vegetables so that they dissolve into the sauce and add flavor rather than texture.

Makes: 4 servings; Total time: 30 minutes

1	cup chopped onion1 cup
1	celery rib, chopped1 celery
1	carrot, chopped1 carrot,
3	cloves garlic3 cloves
2	Tbsp. olive oil2 Tbsp.
¹⁄₂	lb. ground sirloin¹⁄₂ lb.
¹⁄₂	lb. bulk hot Italian sausage¹⁄₂ lb.
1	Tbsp. tomato paste1 Tbsp.
¹⁄₄	cup dry red wine¹⁄₄ cup
³⁄₄	cup low-sodium chicken broth³⁄₄ cup
1	can crushed tomatoes (14 oz.)1 can
1	tsp. each dried basil and dried oregano1 tsp.

Mince onion, celery, carrot, and garlic in a food processor; set aside.

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high. Add sirloin and sausage to pan and sauté until brown. Add minced onion, celery, carrot, and garlic to pan; sauté 2–3 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Stir in red wine and cook 1 minute. Add broth, tomatoes, basil, and oregano; reduce heat to a simmer and cook 15 minutes. Serve over Creamy Polenta.

Nutrition Information
Per serving: 340 cal; 20g total fat (5g sat); 72mg chol; 526mg sodium; 15g carb; 4g fiber; 23g protein

To make a quick and easy job of mincing the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic, use a food processor.

Brown the meat in a large pan, then add the vegetables — they'll soak up the flavor from the drippings.

Using red wine to deglaze the pan adds lots of color and flavor to the sirloin and sausage.