by Diana Rattray
Short ribs are a fabulous meat to use in a Bolognese ragu. Long simmering makes the beef tender and gives the sauce fabulous texture. Prep for this ragu is a snap, but make sure to allow plenty of cooking time. Also, I like the texture and appearance of the diced vegetables, but if you like a smoother sauce (or if you are trying to hide the veggies from the kids), feel free to finely chop them or pulse them in
the blender.
Preparation Notes
Dice or chop the vegetables uniformly.
Sear the short ribs, and don’t rush. You should sear them long enough to develop a dark crust. The seared ribs add to the beefy flavor of the sauce.
Sweat the vegetables. Gentle heat is the key to perfectly softened vegetables. Dice the onions, carrots, and celery into uniform dice so they’ll cook evenly, and make sure they have plenty of room in the pan. Once the oil is hot, turn the heat down to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent browning. When the vegetables are softened and aromatic, you’ll add the minced garlic and herbs and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
You can use a can of crushed tomatoes, but crushing whole canned tomatoes by hand will give you the perfect texture. Crush each tomato with your hands as they go into the pot, then add the remaining juices. Or, pour the whole tomatoes and juices into a bowl and crush them with your hands or a potato masher. If you prefer a smoother sauce, pulse the tomatoes in a blender or food processor.
The Wine for This Bolognese
Traditional Bolognese is often made with the addition of white wine and milk or cream, but this one calls for red wine. A red wine that you like to drink will work in this recipe. An Italian wine such as Sangiovese is excellent, or Chianti, but feel free to use Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, or a similar red wine.
Leftover Sauce
If you have leftover sauce, it freezes beautifully. Or use it in other recipes. Leftover Bolognese makes an excellent topping for baked potatoes, or use it as a stuffing for zucchini boats. Extra heated sauce also makes a great topping for polenta or grits.
PrintShort Rib Bolognese Ragu
Short ribs are a fabulous meat to use in a Bolognese sauce! Long-simmering makes the beef tender and adds a fabulous flavor and texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 5 servings 1x
- Category: short ribs, pasta, tomatoes
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 1/2 cups beef stock, unsalted or low sodium
- 1 (28-ounce) large can whole peeled plum tomatoes, hand-crushed
- 1 to 2 teaspoon granulated sugar, or as needed to taste, optional
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, for the pasta water
- 12 to 16 ounces pappardelle pasta, or fettuccine
- Parmesan cheese, for garnish
- Chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- If the short ribs are boneless, cut them into large chunks; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven or large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the short ribs to the hot oil and brown for about 4 minutes on each side, or until you have a nice, dark crust on the meat. Remove the beef and set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the carrots, onion, and celery to the pan along with a sprinkling of salt and pepper; cook for about 4 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the garlic, thyme, and tomato paste and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes longer.
- Add the bay leaves and wine to the pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 4 minutes.
- Add the beef stock and tomatoes to the pot. Cover the pot with a lid and cook over low heat for 3 hours, or until the meat is very tender and can be easily shredded with a fork.
- Remove the beef pieces from the pan and shred it with 2 forks. Add the shredded meat back to the pan and continue to simmer, uncovered, until thickened, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water—about 4 quarts—to a boil with 4 teaspoons of kosher salt (the water should taste as salty as the ocean). Add the pappardelle to the boiling water and cook following the package instructions.
- Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper, and sugar, as needed, to taste.
- Drain the pasta and return it to the cooking pot. Add as much of the sauce as you need and toss to coat.
- Serve the short rib Bolognese with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley.
