You could call this my shortcut ragu. I use store-bought sauce but add a few smart ingredients to make it taste more homemade. I also use ground chicken for this recipe, which keeps the cooking time low. I make this recipe once a month (the whole family loves it). For more easy dinner recipes with ground chicken, see these incredible chicken lettuce wraps or this easy white chicken chili!
Key Ingredients
Pasta: I love serving this ragu with spaghetti, but feel free to use your favorite pasta. Ground Chicken: I use ground chicken in this recipe, but you can substitute ground turkey, lean ground beef, or ground lamb. Pasta Sauce: You can use your favorite store-bought spaghetti sauce (I like Rao’s). Or try this homemade marinara or this red pasta sauce. Wine: This is optional, but it adds a lot of extra flavor. Use a dry red or dry white wine. If you don’t have wine on hand, don’t worry! You can substitute it with chicken broth or veggie broth. Aromatics: To make this ragu taste more homemade, I cook the chicken with onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and fresh (or dried) chopped rosemary. I make a similar sauce for this easy weeknight spaghetti, but that recipe has a from-scratch sauce with basil instead of rosemary.
How to Make Chicken Ragu
To prepare the sauce, I cook the onions, carrots, and celery until tender and sweet. I then stir in the rosemary and garlic, letting their flavors become fragrant. Once the vegetables are ready, I add the ground chicken and cook it until it’s no longer pink. I deglaze with wine (or broth) and stir in the pasta sauce. I let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Then, it’s ready to serve over spaghetti. Easy! 1 pound (450g) ground chicken 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 medium onion, chopped 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped 1 medium stalk celery, chopped 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves 1 clove garlic, finely minced 1/4 cup (60ml) dry red or white wine 3 cups (709ml) marinara sauce or use 1 (26oz) jar of store-bought sauce Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste 2In the meantime, heat olive oil in a large skillet with high sides. Add onions, carrots, and celery, and cook until the onions become soft and smell sweet, about 5 minutes. 3Stir in the garlic and rosemary, then add the ground chicken. Cook the chicken until it is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. 4While cooking, use a wooden spoon to break the chicken into small pieces in the pan. 5Season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Then, pour in the wine (or broth) and cook for 1 minute. 6Add the marinara sauce to the skillet and cook until it reduces slightly, around 10 minutes. 7Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve the sauce over the cooked pasta.
