Rome Meets Rancho

Rustic Italian Beef Ragu with Toasted Tortilla Chips

1 hour 15 minutes
Serves 4
DinnerItalian
Herb's take

Tonight, we're crossing the Rubicon and the Rio Grande: a slow-simmered Italian beef ragu, using the whole can of tomatoes, served on golden, crunchy corn tortilla chips instead of pasta. Expect big flavors, a crash course in tomato sauce science, and the kind of cultural mashup that makes dinner fun.

Ingredients

Yield
4

Instructions

  1. 01
    Preheat oven to 375°F. Stack the corn tortillas and cut them into quarters to make chips.
  2. 02
    Arrange tortilla wedges in a single layer on two baking sheets, brush both sides lightly with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and bake for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crisp. Set aside.
  3. 03
    Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until softened.
  4. 04
    Add garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  5. 05
    Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook until well browned and most moisture is evaporated, about 7-8 minutes.
  6. 06
    Pour in the red wine and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let it simmer until almost all liquid has evaporated, about 2–3 minutes.
  7. 07
    Add the oregano, basil, bay leaf, crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Stir to coat everything in the fragrant fat.
  8. 08
    Pour in the entire can of whole peeled tomatoes with their juice. Use a spoon or potato masher to break up the tomatoes into small chunks.
  9. 09
    Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Partially cover and let cook for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and richly flavored.
  10. 10
    Discard bay leaf. Stir in grated Parmesan and half the parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or pepper if needed.
  11. 11
    Mound warm tortilla chips onto four dinner plates. Spoon generous portions of the beef ragu over the chips.
  12. 12
    Sprinkle with extra Parmesan and remaining parsley. Serve immediately.

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