Dutch Oven Short Rib Ragu with Pappardelle

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Make the best homemade Short Rib Ragu recipe! Slowly braised in a Dutch oven in rich hearty sauce, the meat is fall-apart tender. I love serving with with pappardelle pasta to make it a perfect comforting meal for Sunday dinner.

Short Rib Ragu with Pappardelle in a Dutch oven.

What is Ragu?

The term “Ragu” means a slowly braised Italian meat-based sauce. It is usually made with beef, cooked in a flavorful tomato sauce, and often served with pasta, gnocchi, or polenta.

Because we braise short ribs over low heat for a long time, it helps tenderize and breakdown connective tissues, making the meat super tender. Despite it takes a few hours to make this recipe, it’s absolutely worth it!

Short Rib Ragu with Pappardelle in a plate.

Ingredients and Substitution

Short Ribs. I prefer to use boneless short ribs rather than bone-in in this recipe, as they have less fat (and you can trim excess fat), so the ragu won’t be too fatty and greasy.
Onion, Celery, Carrot. This three vegetable combo is usually called “Soffritto” and makes the best base for any ragu, stew, or soup.
Garlic. I only use two garlic cloves. If you love garlic flavor, you can easily add more.
Tomato Paste. It provides richness to the dish.
Worcestershire sauce. This is one of my favorite ingredients to provide rich and complex flavors to ragu and stews.
Crushed tomatoes. You can use crushed or diced tomatoes in this recipe.
Chicken broth. I like to use my Homemade Chicken Stock, but you can also use a prepackaged store-bought one.
Heavy cream. It helps to create a wonderful creamy texture, brinning all the flavors together.
Parmesan cheese. Similar to heavy cream, Parmesan cheese helps to create creamy velvety texture and elevates the flavors.
Parppardelle. I love to use pappardelle in this recipe, but you can also use any large pastas, like rigatoni, capricci, or fisilli.

Separate ingredients to make short rib ragu.

How to make it

Pat dry boneless short ribs, trim off the excess fat, and then generously season with salt and pepper from both sides.

Preheat a Dutch oven over medium/high heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil. Once the oil is hot, brown the meat in two batches. Sear for about 4-5 minutes on each side or until the meat is nicely browned. Then transfer to a plate and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium/low and add chopped onion, celery and carrots. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and starting to caramelize.

Process photos of adding onion, celery, and carrots to the pot and cooking it.

Then add 2 smashed cloves of garlic, ¼ cup tomato paste, and 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Stir and cook for another minute.

Process photos of adding garlic and tomato paste to the soffritto.

Add 15 ounces crushed tomatoes, 3 cups chicken broth, and stir. Then add the browned meat with juices.

Turn up the heat to high and bring the liquid to boil. Then reduce the heat back to low, cover with the lid, and let it simmer for 2 ½-3 hours or until the meat is fall-apart tender.

NOTE: After cooking for 40 minutes, you will need to pay closer attention to the pot and stir more often, so the sauce doesn’t burn. If it reduces too much, you can add some water and continue cooking until fully done.

Process photos of adding tomato sauce and short ribs to the sauce.

When the meat is almost done, boil a separate pot of water and cook pappardelle pasta according to the instructions. Then drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooked pasta water, and set aside.

When the meat is fully cooked and fall-apart tender and the sauce is reduced, add ⅓ cup heavy cream and ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, and stir until well combined.

Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a splash of reserved cooked pasta water to loosen it up. Keep cooking for 1 minutes to blend all the flavors together, then turn of the heat and serve.

Process photos of adding heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, and pasta to the meat sauce.

Tips for best results

Take time to build the flavors! Browning the meat and the soffritto (onion, celery, and carrots) are the crucial steps in building the flavors. So, don’t rush the process and let each of them caramelize. As the result, you will have the best ragu with rich, deep, and complex flavors.
Braise the meat until fall-apart tender. Depending on the size of the short ribs, your cooking time might be a little bit shorter or longer. So, be patient and let the meat cook until it’s fully ready. It will be so tender and will be “melting” in your mouth.

Storage and Freezing

How to store. After short rib ragu is completely cooled off, transfer it to an air-tight container and refrigerate for 4-5 days.
How to freeze. I usually prefer to freeze ragu without pasta, so it will store better. You can put it in an air-tight container or a freezer-safe bag and freeze up to 3 months. To thaw, just leave it in the fridge overnight, then reheat.
How to reheat. You can reheat it in a pot over medium heat. If the sauce gets too thick, just add a splash of water to loosen it up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make short rib ragu in the oven?

Yes. Though I prefer to fully cook it on the stove top, you can also cook it in the oven. After the meat and vegetables are seared, and you add all the ingredients back to the pot, bring the liquids to boil, then cover with the lid and transfer to the oven. You can braise them in the oven at 350°F for 2 ½-3 hours, occasionally stirring.

Why are my beef short ribs so tough?

Most likely you didn’t cook them long enough. Braising short ribs is a slow process that requires patience. Depending on the size of the meat pieces and their quality, you might need more time to cook them to get the right texture.

Shell I use bone-in or boneless short ribs for ragu?

I prefer to use boneless short ribs because they are less fatty and will make the ragu less greasy. Also, if there is some extra fat on the meat, you can easily trim it.