Pork & Fennel Ragu Bianco
Lean pork mince with fennel seed, fennel bulb, carrot and courgette, simmered in milk instead of tomato and wine.
makes 22 blocks, about 29p each
- Time
- 1 hr 20 min15 min prep · 1 hr 5 min cook
- Makes
- 22 blocks
- Cost per blockPer block
- 29p
- Calories per blockCalories
- 65 kcal
- Fibre per blockFibre
- 1.7g
You’ll need
- 500gpork mince (5% fat)
- 250gcourgette, grated
- 200gcarrot, finely diced
- 150gfennel bulb, finely diced
- 1 tin (240g drained)green lentils, rinsed
- 150mllactose-free milk
- 60gleek, sliced
- 25gporridge oats
- 15mlrapeseed oil
- 2 clovesgarlic, crushed
- 5gfennel seeds (crushed), rosemary
- 1 cubestock cube
- 300mlwater
Allergens: Milk. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.
Serve it
Rigatoni or gluten-free pasta · Soft polenta · A jacket potato with greens
Method
- Step 1: Brown the pork in the oil over a high heat, breaking it up finely, for 10 minutes, adding the garlic for the last minute.
- Step 2: Add the carrot, fennel and leek and cook until very soft, 10 minutes.
- Step 3: Stir in the fennel seeds and rosemary for 1 minute, then the courgette, stock and milk.
- Step 4: Simmer gently, partly covered, for 35 minutes. Add the lentils and oats for the last 10 minutes.
- Step 5: Season, cool and freeze in 70g blocks.
| kcal | protein | carbs | fat | fibre | salt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per block | 65 | 6.5g | 5.5g | 2.1g | 1.7g | 0.25g |
| Per 3 blocks | 195 | 19.5g | 16.5g | 6.3g | 5.1g | 0.75g |
Cook’s notes
- Fennel seed is traditionally used to settle the stomach.
- Keep the fennel bulb to this amount: in larger portions it can trigger symptoms.
- Turkey mince makes it even leaner.
Serve it
Rigatoni or gluten-free pasta · Soft polenta · A jacket potato with greens.
This is general guidance, not medical advice. IBS triggers vary from person to person, so talk to your GP or a registered dietitian before changing your diet.
Freeze, reheat and serve
- Freeze
- Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
- Reheat
- Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
- A portion
- 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 195 kcal and 19.5g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.
Pork & Fennel Ragu Bianco questions
Why simmer it in milk instead of tomato?
Simmering mince in milk is a classic Italian way to make a pale ragu bianco. The milk gives a mellow, creamy sauce and keeps lean mince tender.
Why do the lentils and oats go in at the end?
The tinned lentils are already cooked, so they only need warming through, and longer cooking would turn them to mush. The oats need about 10 minutes to soften and thicken the sauce.
Can I use beef mince?
Lean beef mince works, though the flavour is heavier and less sweet than pork with fennel. Keep the same weight and method.
Sauces that go with it
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Updated . Nutrition, costs and yields are estimates. Gluten-free assumes gluten-free oats and gluten-free stock cubes.