🥗 Ingredients

1 pound pappardelle pasta
3-4 pounds boneless short ribs (or chuck roast)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 carrots, small dice
1 large yellow onion, small dice
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
3 oz tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine (cabernet sauvignon)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
20 oz quality canned tomatoes (San Marzano)
3 cups beef stock
6 sprigs fresh thyme
Neutral oil (e.g. avocado), for searing
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan, for garnish
Fresh parsley, for garnish

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Cut short ribs into roughly 1-inch cubes. Season generously on all sides with salt and pepper.

2. Heat a steel/cast iron pan over medium-high for 3-4 minutes. Add a little neutral oil and sear the beef in batches, about 3 minutes per side until deeply browned. Remove and set aside.

3. In the same pan, add the tomato paste and cook it off over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, smashing and spreading, stirring every 30 seconds. The paste will darken and lose its raw sourness. Set aside.

4. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil and butter. Add carrots and onion (and celery if using). Season with salt and pepper and cook about 8 minutes until softened.

5. Add the thyme (leaves stripped from stems) and crushed red pepper. Cook 30 seconds.

6. Stir in the cooked-off tomato paste.

7. Pour in the red wine and reduce for about 5 minutes until largely cooked off. (No wine? Use about 1/3 the amount in red wine vinegar.)

8. Add the crushed/squished San Marzano tomatoes and cook 5 minutes to concentrate.

9. Add the beef stock and red wine vinegar. Stir.

10. Add the seared beef along with any juices. Make sure the beef is mostly submerged.

11. Bring to a bare simmer (small bubbles around the edges only — do not boil or the meat will dry out). Crack the lid and cook gently for about 2.5 hours, brushing down the sides occasionally with a wet pastry brush. Add 1/2 cup water partway through if it thickens too much.

12. Once tender, let the ragu rest in the pot for at least 30-60 minutes (or refrigerate overnight and reheat — even better). Shred the beef gently with two wooden tools, leaving some chunks.

13. Cook pappardelle in well-salted water for about 5 minutes until just al dente.

14. Transfer some ragu to a pan, add the pappardelle straight from the pot (a little pasta water along for the ride is fine), and toss to coat.

15. Serve topped with freshly grated parmesan and parsley.