Slow Cooked Beef Ragu over Pappardelle Pasta

This is hands down one of my favorite comfort meals. I absolutely love the smell of the beef slow cooking while I get work done around the house. This is the the perfect Sunday dinner in my opinion! Slow cooked beef that shreds apart in a delicious red wine tomato sauce over a thick cut pasta — YOU CAN NOT BEAT IT! I love topping this with fresh parsley, cracked black pepper and shaved parmesan. Serve this meal with your favorite glass of red wine on a lazy Sunday with all of your candles lit….. you’ll thank me later. It screams COMFORT. I also love serving this meal when we have guests over. It is always a hit and everyone loves it! I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I do!

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 – 4l lbs of Boneless Beef Chuck Short Ribs
• 1 3/4 cups of yellow onion cut into medium sized cubes
• 1 1/2 cups of carrots peeled & cut into medium sized cubes
• 1 1/2 cups of celery cut into medium sized cubes
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 large sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1/2 tablespoon of minced fresh thyme (remove stems)
• 2 tablespoons of fresh minced garlic
• 2 cups of dry red wine (merlot or cabernet sauvignon)
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1 – 14.5oz can of petite diced tomatoes
• 2 1/2 cups of beef broth
• 5 dried bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon of course black pepper
• 2 – 8.8oz packages of pappardelle pasta
• Shaved parmesan
• Fresh minced parsley

Directions:

1. Take short ribs out of the fridge 30 minutes before starting to cook.
2. Prep/cut all vegetables and ingredients.
3. Set oven to 350°F.
4. Pat short ribs dry with paper towel on each side. Sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper on each side of each short rib.
5. Set a dutch oven (preferably) or heavy based pot (that can go into the oven) over high heat. Add in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
6. Once oil is hot – sear each short rib for about 3-4 minutes per side or until nice golden crust appears on each short rib. Sear ribs in batches and set aside.
7. Turn heat down to medium and add in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, onions, carrots, celery.
8. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes. Scrape all of the bits from the beef off the bottom of the pan with sautéing vegetables (use a wooden spoon to protect the pot).
9. Next, add in garlic, thyme and rosemary. Mix well. Add in red wine and mix well. Scrape bits off the bottom of the pan again.
10. Now, add in tomato paste, diced tomatoes, beef broth and bay leaves. Stir.
11. Add in the short ribs with all of its juices back into the pot. Turn heat up to high. Mix around to ensure beef is covered in liquid (it wont be fully covered)!
12. Add in garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper.
13. Once liquid is boiling, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for 2 – 2 1/2 hours or until beef easily shreds with a fork.
14. Once cooked, remove beef onto a large plate and shred apart with two forks. Remove any fat from short ribs and discard.
15. Next, remove the bayleaves and rosemary stems from the pot.
16. Mash everything together in the pot with a potato masher until smooth to create your pasta sauce. (If you have a blender or food processor – add everything into it and blend until smooth.) Return sauce to pot. If sauce is a too thick for your liking, add in a splash of beef broth.
17. Taste. Add in more salt, pepper and garlic powder if desired.
18. Boil pasta of your choice. Lightly coat pasta with sauce after draining. Add salt to taste.
19. Plate pasta on the bottom and add shredded beef on top. Garnish with sprinkle of shaved parmesan, fresh parsley and cracked black pepper.
20. Enjoy!

Recipe Serves: 6-8 people