Beef Ragu With Beans - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 large carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 large celery ribs, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 lbs ground beef
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
2 cups beef broth
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons sugar
1 (15 1/2 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 teaspoons italian seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
For Serving
1 lb rigatoni pasta, cooked
grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation

Place carrots, celery, onion and garlic in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped.
In a large bowl, mix vegetables, ground beef, diced tomatoes, beef broth, tomato paste, sugar and beans. Add half of each: Italian seasoning, salt and red pepper flakes. Stir until combined.
Place mixture in a 6 quart slow cooker and cook 5 1/2 hours on high or 8 1/2 hours on low.
Stir in remaining Italian seasoning, salt and red pepper flakes. Cook for an additional 30 minutes.
For 8 servings, toss half the meat sauce with rigatoni; serve with grated cheese, if desired. Reserve other half of the sauce for future meals. May be frozen, tightly covered, for up to 2 months.