Wholegrain Spaghetti with Beef Ragù
A honest weeknight classic — a deep, slow-simmered beef and tomato sauce with grated carrot for natural sweetness, spooned over nutty wholegrain spaghetti for extra fibre.
Best for high-fibre · high-protein · family weeknight dinner
This is comfort food you don't have to feel careful about. The sauce builds the way a good ragù should: soften the onion, carrot and garlic first so they melt into a sweet base, brown the beef hard for real depth, then let it all quietly simmer with crushed tomatoes until it turns rich and glossy. Grated carrot does the work sugar usually gets credit for, and a splash of soy sauce rounds everything out. Serving it over wholegrain spaghetti instead of white is the small swap that matters — you get more fibre and a nuttier bite that stands up to the meaty sauce, and honestly it tastes better for it. Make a double batch; it's even better the next day.
Ingredients
- 320 g wholegrain spaghetti
- 500 g lean ground beef , about 10-12% fat
- 1 onion , finely chopped
- 2 clove garlic cloves , finely chopped
- 160 g carrots , coarsely grated
- 15 ml olive oil
- 30 g tomato paste
- 400 g crushed tomatoes , one can
- 250 ml low-sodium beef stock
- 5 ml soy sauce , for umami (optional – can be omitted)
- 2 g dried oregano
- 1 g dried thyme
- 1 Bay leaf (optional – can be omitted)
- 3 g fine sea salt , to taste
- 1 g black pepper , freshly ground
- 30 g Parmesan , finely grated, to serve
- 5 g Fresh basil , torn, to serve (optional – can be omitted)
Instructions
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1
Heat the olive oil in a large pan or pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, grated carrot and a pinch of salt and cook gently until softened and sweet, stirring now and then.
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2
Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute, then turn the heat up high.
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3
Add the ground beef and brown it hard, breaking up the clumps, until it takes on real colour — that browning is where the flavour comes from.
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4
Stir in the tomato paste and let it fry for a minute so it loses its raw edge.
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5
Pour in the crushed tomatoes, stock and soy sauce, then add the oregano, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and let it bubble gently until thick and glossy, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of water if it gets too dry.
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6
While the sauce simmers, cook the wholegrain spaghetti in well-salted water until al dente — it usually needs a minute or two more than white pasta, so taste as you go. Reserve a little pasta water before draining.
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7
Fish out the bay leaf and taste the sauce, adjusting salt and pepper. Loosen it with a splash of the reserved pasta water if needed, then fold in the drained spaghetti so every strand is coated.
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8
Serve straight away with grated parmesan and torn basil on top.