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Short Rib Ragu

Short Rib Ragu

Delicious and rich Short Rib Ragu made with fall-off-the-bone braised beef and served over pasta.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 6 servings
Calories 634 kcal

Equipment

  • Dutch oven
  • tongs

Ingredients
  

Meat

  • 2.5 lbs bone-in beef short ribs *
  • salt and pepper

Vegetables

  • 1 small onion finely diced
  • 1 large carrot finely diced
  • 1 rib celery finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced

Liquids

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ cup dry red wine (chianti, cabernet sauvignon, merlot)
  • 1 ¾ cups low-sodium beef broth

Seasonings

  • 2 teaspoons beef bouillon paste
  • 28 oz can peeled whole tomatoes (San Marzano recommended)
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 piece parmesan cheese rind (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt or more, to taste
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil leaves
  • Pinch crushed red pepper flakes optional

Pasta

  • 1 lb pappardelle or tagliatelle pasta *

Instructions
 

Cooking Instructions

  • Season short ribs all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Sear the short ribs, rotating every minute or so, until browned and seared on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside.
  • Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add red wine to deglaze the pan and cook for 3 minutes, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  • Add beef broth, boullion, tomatoes (crush them with your hands or a potato masher), tomato paste, cheese rind, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, bay leaves and crushed red pepper. Nestle short ribs on top and top with fresh thyme sprigs.
  • Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover pot and simmer for 2 hours.
  • Remove bay leaves, thyme sticks and cheese rind. Remove short ribs and shred meat (discard bones).
  • Return meat to the pot and continue to simmer for 30 minutes, to reduce some of the sauce. (If you like the sauce to be a thicker gravy consistency, scoop some into a cup and mix with ½ teaspoon cornstarch, then return to pot).
  • Cook pasta according to package instructions in salted water. Once pasta is almost al dente, use tongs to remove it from the hot pasta water and add it to the ragu sauce. Toss to combine and cook for 5 more minutes.
  • Spoon ragu and noodles into shallow bowls and garnish with fresh shredded parmesan cheese, for serving.

Notes

Could also use boneless short ribs or beef chuck roast. For more traditional ragu, use 1 lb ground beef and 1 lb ground pork. This could also be served over small ribbed pasta like fusilli or cavatappi, cooked polenta, zoodles or spaghetti squash.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 634kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 40gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.05gCholesterol: 145mgSodium: 829mgPotassium: 1197mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 2321IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 6mg
Keyword beef ragu, braised beef, homemade ragu, Pasta Sauce, Short Rib Ragu
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