Italian · Authentic-ish Italian
Polenta col Ragu
492 kcal a serving, against 713 for the traditional version. That is 221 kcal off, or 31%, with 34.2g of protein. Serves 6. 3 hours.
What the traditional version is
A slow-cooked ragu of mixed pork, beef and pancetta, ladled over soft polenta that has been heavily beaten with butter and parmesan cheese.
What changed, and what each change costs
100g of butter replaced by 500ml of semi-skimmed milk
Butter adds 700 calories of pure fat to the pot. Milk gives you the creaminess you need while replacing that fat with protein.
What it costs you. You miss the glossy, rich finish that only butter can provide. The milk version is very good, but it lacks that final sheen.
Drop the pancetta and fatty mince, and use 600g of 5% fat beef mince
Lean beef provides over 120g of protein for roughly 800 calories, which completely changes the nutritional balance of the dish.
What it costs you. Lean beef dries out if you rush it. You've got to cook this low and slow so the meat breaks down into the sauce.
50g of olive oil down to 15g, and 100g of parmesan down to 40g
Shaving off the excess fat. A 15g splash of oil is enough to sweat the vegetables if you keep the heat low.
What it costs you. Less cheese means less of that salty, savoury punch in the polenta. You'll need to season it aggressively with plain salt to compensate for the loss.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 713 | 492 |
| Protein | 28.8g | 34.2g |
| Fat | 42.7g | 13.6g |
| Saturated fat | 17.7g | 5g |
| Carbohydrate | 50.2g | 53.8g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 4g | 7g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Italian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. celery, milk, sulphites.
The method is in the book
The ragu is genuinely fantastic. Slow cooking does the heavy lifting, breaking down the tough fibres and making the lean beef meltingly tender. The polenta is where you'll notice the compromise. Milk does a very decent job of mimicking the texture, but butter is butter and you can't fake that flavour. Still, for a massive bowl of comfort food that packs this much protein, it's a trade worth making every time.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Italian, along with 59 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.