Short Rib Bolognese Sauce

a bowl of shredded beef bolognese sauce with penne pasta

4.58 from 21 votes

This short rib bolognese sauce is my favorite winter-time comfort food. Rich shredded beef short ribs slow cooking in a robust red wine tomato sauce full of aromatics, fresh herbs, and bold flavors all day long. It's the perfect recipe for this time of year. Serve it up with pappardelle pasta for date night or family style during the holiday season!

Prep Time10

Cook Time3

Total Time3 10

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 851kcal

Author: Eden Westbrook

Ingredients

2 tablespoon light olive oil
2 ½ lbs bone-in short ribs English-cut
1 large yellow onion diced
2 carrots peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup red wine
3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
28 oz canned tomatoes not tomato sauce
4 cups beef stock
¼ teaspoon ground rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
½ cup heavy cream or whole milk
Kosher salt and Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pasta for serving
Freshly grated parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions

Pat the short ribs dry with paper towels and drizzle with about 2 teaspoon of olive oil. Season generously with kosher salt and black pepper on all sides.
In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat, pour in 1 tablespoon olive oil and sear the short ribs until golden brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the short ribs from the pot.
Turn the heat down to medium and add the chopped celery, onions, and carrots to the pot. Season them with about 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and sauté them, stirring occasionally, until they are turning golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add in the thyme leaves and garlic and cook for two minutes until they are fragrant.
Stir in the tomato paste, then pour in the wine to deglaze the bottom of the pot. Add the beef stock, bay leaves and other dried herbs, canned tomatoes, and the browned short ribs into the pot.
Cover the pot with its lid slightly ajar, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally so the bottom of the pot doesn't burn, or until the meat is fork tender.
When the liquid has reduced down and the meat is fork tender, remove the bones, the meat, and the bay leaves. Stir in the heavy cream.
Optionally, turn the heat off and use an immersion blender to smooth out and emulsify the sauce.
Shred the meat with forks in a mixing bowl, then add the shredded meat back in. Stir well, then taste and season as needed.
Serve over pasta, and with freshly grated parmesan.

Notes

Pro Tips

Use bone-in short ribs. Using bone-in short ribs adds more flavor to the sauce because the bones release collagen, which adds richness and body to the dish. You won't get that with boneless short ribs!
Cook low and slow. Slow-cooking the sauce for several hours allows the flavors to meld together and the meat to become tender and succulent. Don't try to rush it!
You can cook the sauce in the oven at around 325ºF. Once the braising liquid is added to the pot, put it right in the oven and simmer until the short ribs are fork tender.
Taste the sauce after you've added the cream and adjust the seasoning as needed. Adding a pinch of salt or a splash of red wine can make all the difference in the final flavor.
After cooking, let the sauce rest for at least 10-15 minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to settle and intensify.
The sauce is done when your short ribs are fall apart tender! The timing can really depend on factors like your heating element or how big the short ribs are.

Storage and Reheating

Keep your leftover bolognese sauce, by itself and not with the pasta, in the fridge in an airtight glass or ceramic container (it stains plastic) for up to 5 days.

Reheating

stovetop: Pour your sauce into a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through, stirring occasionally. To thin the bolognese sauce, stir in a splash of broth.

microwave: Put the sauce in a microwave-safe dish with a hearty splash of broth. Microwave on high for 90 seconds and stir at 30 second intervals as needed.

Freezing and Thawing

Yes, you can freeze the bolognese with cream!

Let sauce cool to room temperature then put it into freezer-safe zip top bags and press out the excess air or put into vacuum sealing bags and use the vacuum sealer.

Don't forget to label the bags! You can keep the sauce in the freezer for up to 3 months.

When ready to eat, thaw the sauce overnight in your refrigerator, then pour it into a saucepan over medium heat on the stove until warmed through.

Nutrition