Beef Spaghetti Ragu for Dinner
with Greek Pita Pockets for Lunch
- Milk
- Wheat
- Sesame
Cook it once, eat it twice: tonight’s dinner extras transform into tomorrow’s lunch. That’s thanks to special added ingredients that can easily be heated up, even at the office (your coworkers will be amazed, trust us). For the first meal in this 2-in-1 recipe, spaghetti is smothered in a rich beef and mushroom ragu that’s seasoned with hot Italian spices, then sprinkled with nutty Parmesan. The next day, your lunch has packed its bags and traveled to a different country! Greek-inspired meatballs, packed with salty feta and herby za’atar, are piled into pita pockets, scattered with crisp cucumbers and onions, and drizzled with a cool and creamy feta sauce. But don’t fret, there’s no passport required for these awesome meals. <enter> *The Greek Pita Pockets for Lunch nutrition information is as follows: Calories: 710, Fat: 38 g, Saturated Fat: 17 g, Carbohydrate: 49 g, Sugar: 5 g, Fiber: 4 g, Protein: 36 g, Cholesterol: 140 mg, Sodium: 820 mg. The nutrition facts panel below represents the nutrient values for the Beef Ragu Dinner*
Ingredients
1 unit
Red Onion
2 clove
Garlic
½ cup
Feta Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
4 ounce
Cremini Mushrooms
1 unit
Carrots
1 unit
Persian Cucumber
20 ounce
Ground Beef
¼ cup
Panko Breadcrumbs
(Contains: Wheat)
1 tablespoon
Za'atar Spice
(Contains: Sesame)
1 tablespoon
Tuscan Heat Spice
13.76 ounce
Crushed Tomatoes
6 ounce
Spaghetti
(Contains: Wheat)
½ cup
Parmesan Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
2 unit
Whole Wheat Pitas
(Contains: Wheat)
2 ounce
Sour Cream
(Contains: Milk)
Not included in your delivery
2 teaspoon
Olive Oil
1 teaspoon
Vegetable Oil
1 tablespoon
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
Salt
Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Place a foil-lined baking sheet on a middle rack and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry all produce. Quarter and peel onion; finely dice three quarters and thinly slice remaining. Mince garlic. Finely chop feta. Quarter mushrooms. Peel and trim carrot, then finely chop. Thinly slice cucumber into rounds.
In a large bowl, combine panko, za’atar, half the beef, half the garlic, half the feta, 2 TBSP diced onion, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Form into 8 equal-sized meatballs. Drizzle lined baking sheet with olive oil. Place meatballs on prepared sheet. Bake until browned and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add remaining beef; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until browned, 6-8 minutes. Turn off heat; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Drain off and discard any excess fat. Add mushrooms and carrot to pot. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
Add remaining diced onion and remaining garlic to pot. Cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add reserved beef, Tuscan Heat Spice, tomatoes, ⅔ cup water, and salt. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium low and cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, add spaghetti to boiling water. Cook until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Drain pasta, then stir into cooked ragù. Turn off heat. Stir in half the Parmesan, 1 TBSP butter, salt, and pepper. Divide between plates. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.
Halve pitas crosswise. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, a drizzle of olive oil, and as much remaining feta as you like; season with salt and pepper. Divide meatballs between 2 reusable containers. Divide sour cream sauce between 2 more reusable containers. Pack pitas, cucumber, and sliced onion in 2 zip-close bags. Just before eating, warm meatballs in microwave. Stuff pitas with meatballs, cucumber, and onion; drizzle with sauce.
