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Minced Beef with Whole-Wheat Macaroni & Swiss Carrot Salad
Recipe

Minced Beef with Whole-Wheat Macaroni & Swiss Carrot Salad

Main • Switzerland

Lean minced beef in a tomato-vegetable sauce served over whole-wheat macaroni, with a classic Swiss carrot salad on the side. Comforting, practical and a little lighter.

Why smarter

Lean mince and extra vegetables keep it satisfying with less saturated fat, while whole-wheat macaroni adds fibre for better staying power.

Chef tip

Let the mince sauce simmer while the pasta cooks—if it thickens too much, loosen with a splash of pasta cooking water.

Soft line

Simple, cozy and weeknight-friendly.

Ingredients

# Ingredient Text Amount Unit Ingredient Name Notes
1 Whole-wheat macaroni 320.000 g whole-wheat macaroni
2 Canola oil 2.000 tsp canola oil for cooking
3 Onion, finely chopped 1.000 medium onion
4 Carrot, finely diced (for the sauce) 1.000 medium carrot
5 Celery stalk, finely diced 1.000 stalk celery
6 Garlic, minced 2.000 cloves garlic
7 Lean minced beef (about 5–10% fat) 400.000 g minced beef
8 Tomato paste 2.000 tbsp tomato paste
9 Chopped tomatoes (canned) 400.000 g canned chopped tomatoes
10 Beef stock (or water + a little stock powder) 200.000 ml beef stock low-salt if possible
11 Dried oregano 1.000 tsp dried oregano
12 Sweet paprika 1.000 tsp paprika
13 Bay leaf 1.000 leaf bay leaf optional
14 Salt and black pepper salt and black pepper to taste
15 Carrots, coarsely grated (for the salad) 500.000 g carrots
16 Lemon juice 2.000 tbsp lemon juice
17 Canola oil (for the salad) 1.000 tbsp canola oil
18 Dijon mustard 1.000 tsp Dijon mustard
19 Honey (or sugar) 1.000 tsp honey optional, for balance
20 Fresh parsley, chopped 2.000 tbsp parsley optional

Method

  1. Start a large pot of salted water for the macaroni.
  2. Make the carrot salad: toss grated carrots with lemon juice, canola oil, Dijon mustard, honey (if using), a pinch of salt and pepper, and parsley. Set aside to marinate.
  3. Heat canola oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, diced carrot and celery; cook 5 minutes until softened.
  4. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add minced beef, season with a little salt and pepper, and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon.
  5. Stir in tomato paste, paprika and oregano (and bay leaf if using) for 1 minute.
  6. Add chopped tomatoes and stock. Simmer gently for 10–15 minutes until thickened; taste and adjust seasoning.
  7. Meanwhile, cook whole-wheat macaroni until al dente. Reserve a small mug of pasta water, then drain.
  8. Combine pasta with the mince sauce (or serve sauce over pasta). Loosen with a splash of reserved pasta water if needed. Serve with the carrot salad on the side.