Chicken Ragu Pasta

This simple chicken ragu pasta may be easy to make and use everyday ingredients, but there's nothing basic about its flavor. This yummy, savory, and quick-to-make dinner idea is bound to become a favorite family meal. Enjoy this homemade pasta with ground chicken in just half an hour.

It's always nice to make a dinner with ingredients you commonly have on hand, but so often it's basic meal that you've had dozens of times. Why not mix things up with this chicken ragu pasta recipe?

Inspired by Rahel Ray's complex Pasta Alla Genovese, there's nothing routine about the robust flavors in this dish even though I've simplified the recipe for you.

With fewer ingredients and some special tweaks, you can have an amazing dinner on the table of pasta with a mouth-watering ragu sauce that everyone will enjoy.

If you're a fan of this recipe, you need to try my other chicken recipes! This mustard chicken is a reader favorite. In addition, skillet chicken with bell peppers and bourbon chicken are perfect for weeknight dinners or special occasions.

What Is Ragu Sauce?

Ragu isn't just a brand name. It's an Italian word for a sauce made from simmering vegetables, spices, and meat. In a word, it's tantalising.

When you start cooking your ragu, be prepared for your spouse, kids, and possibly the neighbours to flock to your kitchen.

Slowly cooking the fresh ingredients and meat releases flavors in an artful, yet pleasingly simple way.

How Do You Make Chicken Ragu Pasta?

I'm glad you asked. All you need is some common kitchen ingredients, spices, and about half an hour!

Get your water boiling for pasta and then it's time to prep the veggies, brown the chicken (or you could make a turkey ragu if you prefer by swapping in ground turkey), and simmer your sauce.

Which pasta is the best for homemade ragu?

It's really easy to make this delightful dinner. You can use any pasta, but Rigatoni is a favorite.

The striations on the side of the noodle and the large opening allow the sauce to stick on and in the pasta noodle instead of sliding off, so every bite is loaded with goodness.

What vegetables make the best ragu sauce?

This delicious chicken ragu sauce recipe uses onion, carrots, and garlic.

Slowly sautéing the onions and carrots together to start the recipe releases their sweetness. Many sauce recipes call for sugar to reduce the acidity in a tomato based sauce, but the natural sweet flavors in these vegetables will do that for you.

Plus, they are so healthy!

And after a while you'll add in garlic for a subtly pungent bite of flavor that is pretty much required in all Italian inspired dishes.

How do I make the sauce creamy, like in restaurants?

One thing you might notice when you go to a restaurant for Italian is how the sauce is always just a bit creamier than it is when you serve the same meal at home.

The secret, as they say, is in the sauce. Literally.

Experienced Italian chefs know that you need to hold back some water from your pasta pot to stir into your sauce.

The starch in the water will make it smooth and also allow it to stick to your pasta better. So before you strain your pasta, pull out about half a cup of the starchy hot water.

You'll add in anywhere from ¼-1/2 cup, depending on how thick you'd like your ragu pasta sauce to be.

More easy pasta recipes for dinner tonight

• Pasta Carbonara - Italian classic, ready in under 30 minutes;
• Creamy Salmon Pasta - cozy easy recipe your family will love;
• Mushroom Stroganoff  - reader's favorite easy recipe with ton of flavor;
• Pasta with Zucchini and Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo - creamy and comforting;
• Spaghetti with Walnut-Raisin Sauce - super quick and easy recipe that won't disappoint.

If you make this recipe, snap a photo and post it on Instagram with a hashtag #lavenderandmacarons. I love seeing your creations.

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