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Nothing beats a bowl of warm, comforting, saucy braised beef ragu with pappardelle pasta! This easy beef ragu recipe is perfect for a cozy Sunday family dinner or pasta night.
I figured I would bring in the New Year, in our new home in a place where we actually are blessed with fall and winter (not 90 degree weather in December), after the craziness of two years with the whole entire panoramic we are stuck in...with a dish that is a personal favorite and nothing but pure comfort food in the dead of winter:
A nice plate of pasta tossed with slow braised shredded beef ragu. I mean, thick-boy noodles just coated in sauce, plenty of shredded, tender beef that was simmered in tomatoes, beef broth, herbs, and parmesan for hours. So good.
Just such a homey, hearty meal and it'll really warm you up during these cold winter days.
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Origins of Ragu
Ragu is a classic part of Italian cuisine made with chopped or ground meat and sauteed vegetables, slowly braised in a tomato mixture until reduced down to a thick, rich meat sauce, typically served over pasta. It can be made with any meat: duck, goose, chicken, beef, lamb, pork, even offal!
The first documented ragu as a meat sauce served over pasta was in the late 17th century, following Napoleon's invasion of Italy in 1796. The dish (and name) came from the French ragout, which is a stand alone meat and vegetable stew much like a beef stew. Prior to this, Italians would cook and serve pasta in meat broth, but not with the meat that simmered in the broth.
The first Italian beef ragu, made by the Cardinal of Imola's chef Alberto Alvisi called ragù per i maccheroni, was replicated and documented as 'The Cardinal's Ragu'.
Ragu became extremely popular amongst the wealthy by the late 1800's. As meat was very expensive, it was a special dish served during Feast Days and Sunday dinners.
Once Italy become unified, different regions created their own versions of ragu, most popularly Bolognese sauce. Bolognese differs a bit in its ingredients, with white wine and cream or milk and only just a touch of tomato. I think of ragù alla bolognese as more loose and 'saucy' than our more common beef ragù, where it's thicker.
How to Make Beef Ragu
One thing I really love about this ragu recipe is that it can be made on the stove top, in the oven, or in the slow cooker. For me, I start the ragu on the stove in my trusty dutch oven and then let it braise in the oven until the chuck roast is fall-apart tender. Yes, y'all, you will have this baby braising for a long period of time, about three to four hours. Don't fight it, the best food takes time sometimes!
To begin, cut the meat into multiple large chunks, season well with salt, then sear the chuck roast to get an amazing brown crust on every side. Why not just throw them into that rich tomato sauce to stew until it's tender? Because we want the benefit of the Maillard Reaction: when foods become brown (not because of added sugars, that's caramelization) because of a non-enzymatic reaction that rearranges the sugars and amino acids in the food.
It's not just about making the food look 'brown' and therefore more appetizing, searing the meat and getting that Maillard Reaction is about making the food more flavorful. So don't skip searing your meat, guys!
You'll want to small dice the soffritto for the ragu, maybe even chop it all up well in a food processor.
Italian soffritto is way different than Puerto Rican sofrito. It's similar to the French mirepoix, made with carrots, celery, and onion that are sauteed in fat until golden brown.
I'll add some minced cloves of garlic and season with salt and black pepper. Remember, these aromatics are the best way to impart flavor into your food.
I also add fresh thyme and fresh basil to really bloom those herbaceous flavors into the fat.
Layers of flavor, complexity. Words that we really want to use while bragging to our friends when they fawn over how good this is.
After that, deglaze the bottom of the pot. You can use your favorite red wine, but I'm not much of a red wine drinker so I used some of the beef broth to deglaze the fond. Fond is all the browned bits at the bottom of the pan when you're searing and sauteing food, once again, that's that Maillard flavor we don't want to burn or skip out on, so scrape it up with a wooden spoon while you're deglazing to ensure it all gets up.
Then add in the rest of the beef stock, the bay leaves, and the tomatoes. You can use whatever canned tomatoes you like, or even fresh Roma or San Marzano tomatoes. You can use tomato purée, crushed tomatoes, whole tomatoes, tomato paste (totally helpful in a pinch because this is not a tomato-focused sauce but it gives that flavor you want in the ragu) but do not use canned or jarred tomato sauce. It is already seasoned to be used as is, and it can change the flavor of your ragu.
Now here's where I put a delicious twist I learned from a few Italian American friends as a kid: when you're making a rich sauce, soup, or stew, throw in a parmesan rind. That's a pro tip from the nonnas, honey! Save those cheese rinds and put them in the freezer, then put them into anything you would serve parmesan cheese on top of to give it even more depth of flavor.
At this point, I'll cover the pot and let it simmer on the stove top or put it into the oven at 325 degrees F for a few hours until the beef is able to be shredded with a fork.
Shred the beef in the pot with two forks (usually I can just break it apart with one fork, it's so tender by that point), and then I'll take the lid off and let the sauce reduce, stirring occasionally so nothing burns, until we have this perfect pasta sauce.
Ingredients
Chuck Roast. The best cuts of beef for ragu are short ribs, chuck roast, or brisket. These are tough cuts with nice pockets of fat marbling and connective tissue.
As the beef slowly cooks it breaks the connective tissues down, adding the collagen in them to the sauce (making it even richer with more body) and making the beef nice and tender and shreddable while it absorbs all of those flavors from the parmesan, herbs, and tomatoes. Exactly what you're looking for.
We're using chuck roast here because it's a more affordable cut of beef that gives us delicious results.
Carrots, Celery, and Onion. As I've said before, these aromatics are the lifeblood of a good sauce, soup, or stew, especially in Italian cooking. Super important. Chop them up by hand or in the food processor, they'll need to be nice and small.
Garlic Cloves. Mince them up nice and small. Another flavor booster. If you love garlic, add in like 6-8 cloves. If you don't, maybe 2-3 cloves. I usually say follow your heart (or listen to the ancestors) when it comes to garlic and vanilla extract in recipes.
Fresh herbs like thyme and basil. I love using fresh herbs here; I grow my own in an Aerogarden! If you can't find any fresh herbs this time of year, use the dried ones. I'll have the amount suggestions in the recipe card. Dried herbs are more potent than fresh herbs.
Bay Leaves. A must have for any braising liquid.
Beef stock or broth. Way more flavorful than using water. If I run out of homemade beef stock, I will use a beef base (like Better than Bouillon) and add it to the water amount needed. Boom, instant beef broth.
Red Pepper Flakes.
Canned Tomatoes. I used whole San Marzano tomatoes that I crushed up in the pot, but pureed tomatoes work just as well.
Parmesan Cheese Rind. When you use up the last of that parmesan cheese grating it over big bowls of penne alla vodka, save the rind. It's an optional ingredient buuuuut it will give you serious flavor!
The Best Pasta for Ragu
When you're ready to eat, you'll want heartier, larger noodles that the meat sauce can cling to and not be overpowered. This is why pappardelle pasta, which is a wide, flat pasta that looks like a ribbon is my choice.
You won't find them like you will spaghetti in the pasta aisle because they're usually dried in pasta nests, where they're dried with a few ribbons within one nest. Pro Tip: buy two boxes of them if you're feeding more than three people or if you know you'll want to have leftovers. I would say the average box of pappardelle has enough for four main-dish plates of pasta, but if anyone wants leftovers, you'll want that second box.
My next choices? Other larger, flat pasta like tagliatelle, linguine or fettuccine and pillowy soft, yet sturdy potato gnocchi. Tagliatelle will also be in pasta nests just like pappardelle, so keep an eye out for them!
How to Serve Beef Ragu
If you're serving ragu recipes with any type of pasta, you want to serve it with a little bit of the pasta water.
Pasta water will help thin out the sauce if you accidentally made it too thick, and thicken up the sauce if you feel it's a little too saucy (the starch in the water will help a lot!).
So when you drain the pasta, make sure to save about ¼ cup of pasta water. I personally like to take the noodles straight from their pot into the meat sauce if I am not doing leftovers. They have water clinging onto them, might as well put it to good use!
Other ways to serve your ragu:
...over creamy mashed potatoes!
...over rice because you know you have a 50 pound bag of rice in your house.
...with cheesy grits or polenta!
...put in inside your favorite lasagna recipe!
...toss with zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash for a low carb option.
...in a sandwich, like a fancy sloppy joe (thank my husband for this one! It's a favorite of his.)
FAQs
Not every cut of meat is ideal for braising and slow cooking.
Tender, lean cuts like a beef tenderloin or eye of round can overcook and dry out since they do not have a lot of connective tissue or fat to keep them tender. Steaks like the ribeye or new york strip are meant for fast, hot cooking and can become tough when overcooked past medium.
In post, I talk about my favorite cuts for ragu: chuck roast, short rib, brisket.
My ragu recipe is full of rich, complex flavors from the parmesan cheese rind to the herbs cooked in fat, but you can develop even more deep flavors by adding your favorite red wine, sautéing some diced or halved cremini mushrooms with the soffritto, or simmer deseeded dried savory chiles like pasilla or guajillo peppers (which are more rich, savory-spicy, not really hot) with the ragu and take them out before serving.
You totally can make ragu in the instant pot! I have a recipe for pressure cooker ragu, go check it out. You can swap the short ribs for chuck roast.
Great question! You can thicken ragu by coating the beef and vegetables in flour (same amount of flour as the fat you put in) when you're searing and sautéeing them. This will cook out the raw flour and prepare it to incorporate into the broth and tomatoes. This will stop it from being gluten-free, though.
You can also make a cornstarch slurry (start with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and add equal parts water to it, stir it up and it's ready!) and add it near the end of cooking time. Stir it into the sauce a little (not too much or it won't work) and watch your sauce thicken up really well!
You can make your ragu ahead of time! Follow the directions in the Storing, Reheating and Freezing section and you'll be good to go.
Storing, Reheating, and Freezing
Have leftovers? Store the ragu sauce by itself in the fridge in an airtight container for up to five days.
Don't store the sauce with the pasta, because the noodles will soak up all the moisture and you'll end up with swollen, soggy noodles and dry ragu.
To reheat the sauce
- stovetop: Transfer the beef ragu to a medium saucepan, add in a hearty splash of broth, milk, or water, and warm through over medium heat, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing burns on the bottom. Serve hot.
- microwave: Place a serving of ragu in a microwave safe bowl with a tablespoon or so of milk, water, or broth. Microwave on high for two minutes, give it a stir, and see if the ragu is warmed through. If not, heat in 30 second intervals, stirring each time.
Freezing and Thawing Instructions
- Prepare the beef ragu recipe according to instructions.
- Let sauce cool completely to room temperature.
- Transfer sauce to freezer-safe airtight containers or freezer bags with as much air removed from the bag as possible. I like using my FoodSaver and vacuuming the air out for extra security.
- Label the bags/containers with the name of the recipe and the date it was made.
- Freeze for up to 3 months. You might want to write that on the label, too!
- When ready to use, let the ragu thaw in the fridge overnight. You can also thaw it in a sous vide setup if you have one.
- Reheat the ragu sauce using the instructions above while you boil the pasta.
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Tools Used in this Recipe
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Slow Cooked Beef Ragu
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Kosher Salt
- 3 pounds chuck roast, cut into 5-6 pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, small diced
- 2 carrots, washed, peeled, small diced
- 2 celery stalks, washed, small diced
- 8 cloves of garlic, minced
- Leaves from 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
- A small handful of fresh basil
- 6 cups beef broth
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 28-ounce can tomatoes, puréed, crushed, or whole*
- 1 parmesan rind, optional
- 2 bay leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly grated black pepper, to taste.
- Extra basil, grated parmesan cheese, for garnish
- Pappardelle pasta, for serving
Instructions
- Season the chuck roast pieces generously with kosher salt on every side. Large pieces of meat need plenty of salt.
- Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place the chuck roast into the pot and allow it to sear on each side, using tongs to flip them. PRO TIP: the beef will release itself from the pan once it's done searing on that side. If it doesn't lift, don't force it, just wait.
- Once all sides are seared a deep brown, remove the beef to a plate and set aside.
- Turn the heat down to medium, then sauté the onions, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes or until translucent and starting to turn golden brown, stirring with a wooden spoon frequently. Add the garlic, thyme leaves, and basil to the pot and let cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add the seared chuck roast and the accumulated juices back to the pot.
- Deglaze the dutch oven with a cup of beef broth, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to incorporate the fond. Pour in the rest of the beef broth, red pepper flakes (if using), canned tomatoes, the parmesan rind, and bay leaves. Let the ragu sauce come to a lively simmer, stirring occasionally.
- Once it comes to a simmer, cover the pot with a lid, turn the heat down to low, and let cook for 2 ½ to 4 hours or until the meat easily shreds with a fork, stirring every so often to make sure nothing burns on the bottom. You can also place the covered pot into a 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) oven for the same amount of time.
- Give a taste and season with more kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper if needed. Skim any excess fat off the top of the ragu, if desired, and remove the parmesan rind, bay leaves, and basil leaves before serving.
- Serve the beef ragu hot over cooked pappardelle pasta, with a few leaves of basil and freshly grated parmesan.
Recipe Notes
Storing, Reheating, and Freezing
Store the ragu sauce by itself in the fridge in an airtight container for up to five days. Don't store the sauce with the pasta, because the noodles will soak up all the moisture and you'll end up with swollen, soggy noodles and dry ragu.To reheat the sauce
stovetop: Transfer the beef ragu to a medium saucepan, add in a hearty splash of broth, milk, or water, and warm through over medium heat, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing burns on the bottom. Serve hot.- microwave: Place a serving of ragu in a microwave safe bowl with a tablespoon or so of milk, water, or broth. Microwave on high for two minutes, give it a stir, and see if the ragu is warmed through. If not, heat in 30 second intervals, stirring each time.
Freezing and Thawing Instructions
- Prepare the beef ragu recipe according to instructions.
- Let sauce cool completely to room temperature.
- Transfer sauce to freezer-safe airtight containers or freezer bags with as much air removed from the bag as possible. I like using my FoodSaver and vacuuming the air out for extra security.
- Label the bags/containers with the name of the recipe and the date it was made.
- Freeze for up to 3 months. You might want to write that on the label, too!
- When ready to use, let the ragu thaw in the fridge overnight. You can also thaw it in a sous vide setup if you have one.
- Reheat the ragu sauce using the instructions above while you boil the pasta.
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