IItalian ground beef and peas

so the previous recipe, peas and onions, were on simply recipes blog, and this link was at the end of that entry. the blogger said that this recipe was her italian grandmother's recipe. a woman who was a fashionista and owned a beauty salon.

so i made it. and she was right. simpler is better, in this case. i made it with basil and thyme. i asked david if he thought the beef looked medium rare, and asghast, he said, "but we don't want to eat ground beef medium rare!"

1 large white onion diced

1 pound ground beef, seasoned with salt and pepper

1 - 2 cups frozen peas

olive oil

1 t butter

red chile flakes

freshly grated parmesan or pecorino (optional)

fresh herbs (mint, parsley, basil, oregano, thyme...they all work)


Heat olive oil and butter. Add onions, saute until soft. Add ground beef that has already been flavored with salt and pepper. Cook until medium rare. Add in frozen peas, right at end and allow them to defrost and heat up, while the meat is on its way to medium-well done. Toss in fresh herbs, red chile flakes. Season to taste.


Note: This is an EASY recipe. You may be tempted to keep adding other ingredients, but the simplicity is what gives this dish it’s proper structure and flavor. More is not always more.