Shredded Beef Ragu With Sweet Potato Noodles

Sweet potato noodles are great as an alternative to pasta and serve as a perfect vehicle for this hearty, nourishing shredded beef ragu. This Italian-inspired nutrient-dense meal is a must-have for any season and is Paleo, Whole30 and gluten-free.

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This paleo and Whole30-friendly beef ragu is a tasty alternative to a Bolognese sauce. It’s made with diced beef steak stewed in a broth of tomatoes, herbs, spices and beef stock. The beef is super tender and is shredded at the end of the cooking process so that the meat can really incorporate into the sauce.

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Tips For Making Shredded Beef Ragu

You can make a beef ragu on a stovetop (like in this recipe), in a slow-cooker (I suggest 4 hours on HIGH or 6 on MEDIUM), or in an Instant Pot (much, much quicker!). I share the Instant Pot version of this beef ragu here.

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Sweet Potato ‘Pasta Noodles’

For the sweet potato noodles, you really need a vegetable spiralizer. I use a Paderno spiralizer, which is very affordable and can be bought online and in many stores. It’s great for paleo cooking as you can make all sorts of funky pasta-like dishes: zucchini prawn arrabbiata, celeriac carbonara and more.

The sweet potato noodles are roasted for only a short time. We want to cook them slightly while retaining some of the crunch for that ‘al dente’ texture. I usually spiralize one large sweet potato for 2 people or 2 medium ones. Adjust the amount based on how many servings you need. The ragu recipe is for 4-5 servings.

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Using Up Leftover Beef Ragu

This shredded beef ragu is even better the next day and is perfect for batch cooking, freezing and meal prepping. If you want a lower-carb/more keto-friendly meal, you can serve it with zucchini noodles or with a side of vegetables, as I did with the leftovers.

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Beef Ragu With Sweet Potato Noodles

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Author: Irena Macri

Servings: 4

Course: Main

Cuisine: Italian

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5 from 12 votes

Calories: 532kcal

Learn how to make this hearty shredded beef ragu with sweet potato noodles for a healthy meal that is nutrient-dense, Paleo, Whole30 and gluten-free friendly. It's a healthy dinner that is comforting and satiating. Use leftover beef ragu with eggs, salad, vegetable or in a wrap for lunch.

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

For the beef ragu

• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
• ▢ 1 medium onion finely diced
• ▢ 1 large carrot diced into small cubes
• ▢ 1 celery stick diced into small cubes
• ▢ 1/2 long red chili diced (or 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes or cayenne pepper)
• ▢ 1.5 teaspoons sea salt
• ▢ 3 large cloves of garlic finely diced
• ▢ 1.5 lbs. beef steak 700-750 g stewing steak, chuck steak or rib eye, diced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black or white pepper
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground paprika mild or sweet
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano thyme or basil
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• ▢ 1 star anise optional
• ▢ 1 can diced tomatoes 400 g / 1.5 cups, tinned/chopped
• ▢ 1 tablespoon coconut aminos or Tamari wheat-free soy sauce
• ▢ 1 cup beef stock or bone broth

Sweet potato noodles (2 servings)

• ▢ 1 large sweet potato or 2 medium ones, choose the elongated shape
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder optional but yummy
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, chili and salt and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring a few times, until softened.
• Add the beef and the rest of the ingredients and stir through. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered with a lid for 2 hours.
• After 2 hours, use a potato masher or a fork to break the beef apart into shreds/smaller pieces, and cook the ragu uncovered for 5-10 minutes over high heat to evaporate some of the liquid and to thicken the sauce slightly.
• To make the sweet potato noodles, you will need to use something like a vegetable spiralizer. Peel the potatoes, cut off the ends so they are flat and place the potato in the spiralizer. Spiralize into thin noodles.
• Preheat the oven to 200 C / 395 F. Place the noodles in a baking tray and drizzle with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and garlic powder, if using. Roast for 8-10 minutes, stirring gently halfway through.
• Serve the sweet potato noodles with as much beef ragu as you like, topped with freshly chopped parsley.

Notes

Nutritional information is calculated for four servings total with the recipe written as is. Adjust accordingly with more sweet potato noodles, or by halving the amount of beef used per portion.

Nutrition

Calories: 532kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 1578mg | Potassium: 1315mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 15527IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 6mg

Keywords: Beef Recipes, Grain-Free, Sweet Potato Recipes, Ragu

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