Dutch Oven Short Rib Ragu with Pappardelle
This Short Rib Ragu is a rich, slow-braised meat sauce made with tender beef short ribs, tomatoes, aromatics, cream, and Parmesan cheese. The beef cooks low and slow in a Dutch oven until it is fall apart tender, then gets tossed with pappardelle for a cozy pasta dinner.
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 809kcal
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
- Brown the meat in batches. If the pot is crowded, the short ribs will steam instead of sear. Give each piece room to brown.
- Do not rush the soffritto. Let the onion, celery, and carrot soften and start to caramelize before adding the garlic and tomato paste.
- Stir more often as the sauce thickens. Once the ragu reduces, it can stick to the bottom of the pot. If it gets too thick before the meat is tender, add a splash of water or broth.
- Cook until the beef shreds easily. If the short ribs are still tough, they need more time. Continue braising until the meat falls apart with a fork.
- Save pasta water. A splash of reserved pasta water helps loosen the sauce and makes it cling to the pappardelle.
- Freeze the ragu without pasta. The sauce freezes better on its own. Cook fresh pasta when you are ready to serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 809kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 60g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 220mg | Sodium: 928mg | Potassium: 1377mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2236IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 197mg | Iron: 8mg
