Italian Beef Ragu with Pappardelle
Slow-braised stew meat becomes tender and richly flavored in this tomato and red wine beef ragu served with wide pappardelle pasta.
🍽 7 servings
⏱ Prep: 25 min
🔥 Cook: 180 min
⏰ Total: 205 min
📊 Medium
Ingredients
- 2.5 lb Beef stew meat
- 2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp Black pepper
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 medium Yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 Carrot, finely diced
- 2 ribs Celery, finely diced
- 5 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 cup Dry red wine
- 28 oz can Crushed tomatoes
- 1.5 cups Beef broth
- 1 tsp Dried oregano
- 0.5 tsp Dried thyme
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 small Parmesan rind
- 1 lb Pappardelle
- 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- Fresh basil or parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Season the beef stew meat with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef thoroughly in batches. Remove and set aside.
- Add the finely diced onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for 7-8 minutes until softened and lightly golden.
- Add the minced garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the dry red wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Reduce the wine by approximately half, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, dried oregano, dried thyme, bay leaves, and optional Parmesan rind. Stir to combine.
- Return the beef to the pot. Partially cover and simmer very gently for 2.5-3 hours until the beef is fork-tender.
- When the beef is fork-tender, use a wooden spoon to break larger pieces into coarse shreds. Do NOT pulverize — leave some texture.
- Remove the bay leaves and Parmesan rind.
- If the sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Cook the pappardelle according to package instructions until al dente. Drain.
- Toss the pasta with enough ragu to coat. Serve with additional ragu, grated Parmesan, and fresh basil or parsley.
Chef's Notes
Stew meat is usually cut from tougher beef muscles and benefits from low, moist cooking until connective tissue softens. The most important doneness cue is fork-tender beef. Allergens: Contains wheat (pasta) and milk (Parmesan). Storage: Refrigerate promptly in airtight containers for up to 4 days. Store pasta separately from the ragu where practical. Reheating: Reheat the ragu gently on the stovetop. Toss with freshly cooked pasta for best results.