This slow braised beef ragù is is the perfect comforting winter pasta dish. It can be made with short rib (boneless or bone-in) as well as a chuck roast. These cuts are well marbled and packed full of beefy flavor.
To shred or not to shred? I personally like the beef shredded into the sauce and served with the pasta but you can also take it out and serve as a secondi (second dish) of the beef by itself. Either way, this is sure to be a crowd pleaser!
What I love about this recipe is how easy it is to make for a crowd. It is also great for freezing leftovers and making a quick weekday meal!
Check out our homemade pappardelle recipe here!
Beef Ragu with Pappardelle
Description
A slow braised shredded beef short rib ragu served over pappardelle.
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Brown the beef
Bring a stock pot or dutch oven to medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil. Season the beef with kosher salt and black pepper. Working in batches, brown both sides of the short rib for around 3 minutes or until browned. Repeat for repeating beef and remove to a plate.
If you are using a chuck roast, cut into 1.5" thick strips. -
Cook the soffritto
Thinly dice the vegetables and add to the pan along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
-
Prepare the sauce
Add 1 cup of red wine and cook for 3 minutes, scraping the bottom to reduce any of the fond. Add the tomatoes, water, herbs and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer then reduce to low. Cover loosely and simmer for 3.5 hours.
-
Simmer the sauce
Cover loosely and simmer for 3.5 hours. After around 3 hours remove the lid to let the sauce thicken up.
-
Shred the beef
You can serve the beef whole for a secondi or shred and add back to the sauce. If you are shredding. remove all the beef from the sauce and shred it. Return it back to the sauce and toss.
-
Boil the pasta
Boil the pasta according to the package for 2-3 minutes for fresh.
-
Combine the sauce
When the pasta is done add to the sauce along with a small ladle of pasta water. Toss to combine.
