Beef & Eggplant Ragu with Cheesy Polenta

Destination: Italy. A proper weeknight ragu — beef mince crisped and browned, eggplant and zucchini simmered down with our ATLAS tomato & garlic sauce and tomato polpa until rich and thick, then spooned over creamy, cheesy polenta and finished with torn basil.

Serves 2 · 30 mins + prep

In your box

• Beef mince
• 1 ATLAS tomato & garlic sauce tub
• 1 tomato polpa can
• 1 polenta pack
• 1 cheddar cheese pack
• 1 eggplant
• 1 zucchini
• 1 brown onion
• 1 basil bunch*

*Basil is split across other dishes — read each recipe carefully.

From your pantry

Cooking oil, salt, butter

Equipment

Saucepan, frying pan, whisk

Method

1. Prepare the ingredients. Read the recipe in full before you begin. Bring a saucepan of water or kettle to the boil. Wash the vegetables. Pick one sprig of basil leaves per 2 people. Finely dice the onion and dice the eggplant and zucchini into 1cm pieces.

2. Start cooking the polenta. Heat a splash of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the polenta and cook for 20 seconds, stirring often, or until the oil is absorbed by the polenta. While whisking, add 1 cup of hot water per person to the polenta.

3. Continue cooking the polenta. Continue whisking over low heat for about 8–10 minutes or until the polenta grains are soft and no longer gritty, gradually adding more water if needed. Once cooked, remove from the heat and stir in the grated cheese. Add salt and a knob of butter to taste.

4. Cook the mince. Meanwhile, heat a splash of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef mince and onion and cook for 3–4 minutes, breaking up the mince with a wooden spoon, or until the mince begins to crisp and brown and the onion softens.

5. Cook the eggplant. Add the eggplant and zucchini to the pan and sauté for another 3–4 minutes before adding the tomato and garlic base and stirring to combine. Add the tomato polpa with a splash of water and simmer for 8–10 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken and the vegetables are softened. Season to taste with a pinch of salt.

To serve

Divide the polenta between serving plates. Top with the ragu and tear over the basil leaves.

Wanna wing it?

• Use a beef cut like chuck or brisket and cook a low and slow ragu for a few hours instead
• Top with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or a grating of parmesan
• This dish can be quite rich — lighten it up with a rocket or radicchio salad

Allergens: dairy, garlic, onion.

This dish is in our Italy Cuisine Box, delivered 1st–3rd August — order by Tuesday midnight →