Dutch Oven Short Rib Ragu with Pappardelle

Short Rib Ragu with Pappardelle in a Dutch oven.

4.91 from 11 votes

Dutch Oven Short Rib Ragu with Pappardelle

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.

Prep Time30

Cook Time3

Total Time3 30

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: people

Calories: 809kcal

Author: Veronika's Kitchen

Ingredients

3-4 pounds boneless short ribs trim excess fat
1 large onion diced
1 rib celery diced
1 large carrot diced
2 cloves garlic smashed
¼ cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
15 ounces crushed tomatoes
3 cups chicken broth
⅓ cup heavy cream
½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
10 ounces pappardelle pasta

Instructions

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

Notes

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.
How to store. After it’s completely cooled off, transfer to an air-tight container and refrigerate for 4-5 days.

Nutrition