Beef Short Rib Ragu with Pappardelle

A white bowl with short rib beef ragu and pappardelle pasta in it. Around the bowl is fresh basil leaves, a glass of red wine, and a small dish with chopped fresh basil in it all decorated on a wooden background.

Beef Short Rib Ragu with Pappardelle

This beef short rib ragu is one of the most extravagant pasta dishes you could make! It's filled with rich flavor from braised short ribs cooked in a red wine sauce for hours until tender and falling off the bone. The ragu is then tossed with Parmigiano Reggiano and pappardelle pasta. You will blow your guests away with this incredible dish!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword beef short rib ragu, short rib ragu with pappardelle

Freezer Friendly Yes

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 3

Total Time 3 45

Servings

Calories 696kcal

Ingredients

3 1/2 - 4 pounds Bone-in beef short ribs
1 Tablespoon cooking olive oil
1 medium to large yellow onion, diced small
2 large carrots, diced small
2 large celery stalks, diced small
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 oz tomato paste
1 1/2 cups dry red wine, Cabernet sauvignon or franc, merlot, or cab/merlot blend.
1/2 cup beef stock/broth
1 28 oz can San Marzano plum tomatoes (with the juices), crushed with your hands
1 Parmigiano Reggiano rind
2-3 sprigs of rosemary or thyme
1 lb dry pappardelle noodles
2 cups pasta water, You might not need all of it, but it's better to reserve more than not have enough.
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, for serving with the pasta
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil, *optional for serving

Instructions

Season the short ribs, then sear. Heat a Dutch Oven pot for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. While the pot is being heated, pat the short ribs dry with paper towels, then season with salt and black pepper on all sides. Add 1 Tablespoon of oil into the pan, then brown the short ribs on all sides for 2-3 minutes (the deeper the sear, the better the flavor). Do this in batches if all the short ribs don't fit. Place the finished seared short ribs on a separate plate or pan. Note: keep the heat on medium, but lower it if it gets too hot, you don't want the bottom of the pan to burn.
Cook the soffritto. Once the short ribs are done, use the same pot you used for the short ribs to cook the diced onion, carrots, and celery with a generous pinch of salt for 5-8 minutes. If the pan needs more oil, add a little more, but it generally shouldn't need more. Keep the heat on low to medium heat. This process is to soften the vegetables not brown them. Add the garlic and cook with the vegetables for 30-60 seconds.
Cook the tomato paste, then add the wine. Once the vegetables are done, add the 3 oz of tomato paste and cook it with the vegetables for 2-3 minutes. Then add the 1 1/2 cups of red wine and 1/2 cup beef stock, and let it cook for 1-2 minutes. The alcohol will cook off in the oven, so there is no need to cook it longer.
Add remaining ingredients and braise. Then add the tomatoes with juices, rosemary sprigs, and Parmigiano rind with a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Then tuck the short ribs into the sauce, stir, and then bring everything to a gentle simmer. Shut the heat off, cover the pot with a fitted lid, and braise the ragu in the oven at 300F for 3 hours. Halfway through, stir the ribs around in the pot to prevent them from sticking to the bottom.
After braising. Once the ragu is finished in the oven, carefully transfer the short ribs into a large bowl or cutting board and let them cool down before continuing. Discard the parmesan rind, herb sprigs, and all the bones that have seperated from the meat. Use tongs or clean hands to remove the bone and fat from the meat. Shred the beef into smaller pieces, add it back to the ragu pot, and finish all the short ribs like this. Stir the shredded short ribs into the sauce, cover, and keep warm. Note: you can also ladle off any extra fat that comes to the top of the dish if you'd prefer.
Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it generously, then cook the pappardelle until al dente according to the package instructions (stir the pasta once you add it to prevent sticking). When finished, reserve 2 cups of pasta water (you might not need it all, but it's always good to have more than you need). Drain the remaining pasta water.
Serve the ragu with the pasta. Toss the drained pasta with a generous ladle or two of ragu sauce, 1/2 cup at a time of hot pasta water, and 1 cup of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Toss together until everything is combined. If the pasta needs more liquid, add it until the consistency is just right. Serve with fresh basil and more Parmigiano, and enjoy!

Video

Notes

If you prefer to use no alcohol, you can swap the red wine for more beef broth. You will lose out on a deeper flavor profile in the dish, but you can swap it for broth.

Nutrition