Simple Homemade Beef or Venison Ragú for Everyday Cooking

This ragú is a straightforward, budget‑friendly base that works well for lasagne, baked pasta dishes, or spooned over pasta noodles. It uses everyday vegetables, a can of plain chopped tomatoes, and a handful of red lentils to add body without changing the flavour. Everything cooks in one pan, and the method is simple enough for weeknights.

The vegetables form the backbone of the sauce. a soffritto of carrot, onion, celery, and garlic is sautéed until soft, then blended to smooth. This step gives the ragú a thicker texture and helps it cling to pasta without needing long simmering or extra ingredients.

The mince is browned in the same pan, then combined with tomatoes, tomato paste, lentils, and the blended vegetables. A small amount of homemade vegetable stock keeps the sauce loose while it cooks, and the lentils soften quickly, adding extra richness and thickness. The ragú only needs 10–15 minutes on low heat, making it a practical option when you want something hearty without a long cooking time, but can be simmered longer if you wish.

Seasoned simply with sea salt and black pepper, this is a reliable base recipe that can be adapted to suit whatever pasta you’re making. If the sauce thickens too much, a splash of stock or water brings it back to the right consistency.

This homemade ragú is designed to be easy, flexible, and made from ingredients most kitchens already have. Note I use canned tomatoes because they are the cheapest option in New Zealand for cooking (by a significant margin), but use fresh if that's what you have on hand. This is a useful recipe to keep on hand for those days when you want a homemade pasta sauce without any fuss.

Check out my Youtube clip for a short ragú making tutorial:

Ingredients

• 800 gms minced beef or venison
• 1-2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 1 stick celery, sliced
• 1-2 fat garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 can cheapest plain chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup homemade vegetable stock
• Handful of red lentils
• 1 beef oxo instant stock cube
• Ground sea salt and black pepper

Method

Sauté the carrot, onion, celery, and garlic over medium heat with the olive oil until softened. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blitz until smooth. In the same pan, add a little more olive oil and brown the mince. Stir in the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, beef oxo cube, and lentils. Add the blended vegetables back into the pan and simmer on low for 10–15 minutes. If the mixture becomes too dry, add a splash of vegetable stock or water to loosen it.