Short Rib Ragu

5 from 1 vote

This Short Rib Ragu is rich, deeply savory, and mostly hands-off. Perfect for entertaining or cozy weekend dinners with minimal effort.

Prep Time20

Cook Time3

Resting Time10

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Italian, Italian American

Servings:

Author: Adrianna Adarme

Ingredients

3 pounds bone-in short ribs
2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more for seasoning the short ribs
1 large yellow onion trimmed, peeled and cut into chunks
4 carrots peeled and roughly chopped
4 celery ends trimmed and roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves peeled
¼ cup tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups red wine
3 cups beef broth
2 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs sage
2 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs fresh or dry oregano
1 pound pappardelle pasta
Finely grated Parmesan-Reggiano for garnish
Minced Italian parsley for garnish

Instructions

To Make the Ragu:

Preheat your oven to 350℉. Pat the short ribs dry and salt them generously on all sides.
To a large Dutch oven, set over medium heat, add the short ribs fat side down (to render the fat). And then, sear on all sides, until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Feel free to do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
While the meat browns, prepare the vegetables. To a food processor, add the chopped yellow onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Pulse until it resembles a paste. If you don't have a food processor, you can simply finely mince everything.
Remove the short ribs from the pot and set aside. Turn the heat down to medium-low. If your pot seems dry, add a teaspoon or two of olive oil. Short ribs are pretty fatty, so there was a nice layer of fat in my pot for the vegetables. Add the minced vegetables along with 2 teaspoons of salt. Cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes.
Now, add in the tomato paste and mix. I like to cook this for about 1-2 minutes. Pour in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot, picking up any of those bits of flavor!
Mix in the crushed tomatoes and beef broth. Give the broth a taste and add more salt, if needed. Add the seared short ribs back to the pot, along with a bouquet of thyme, sage, rosemary, and oregano.
Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven to braise for 2 1/2-3 hours. I like to check on it at the two-hour mark to see how soft the meat is. Remove from the oven when the meat is fork-tender.
Let cool for about 10 minutes, discard the bouquet of herbs and transfer the short ribs to a cutting board. Shred the meat with two forks.
Skim some of the excess fat off the top of the sauce. Some short ribs can be super fatty, so I like to skim the sauce just in case. Add the shredded meat back to the sauce and toss together.

To Assemble:

Boil up your pappardelle until al dente. Add the cooked pasta to the pot and toss until combined.
Divide amongst bowls and top with grated Parmesan and finely minced Italian parsley.

Notes

Quick Tips

No need to oil the pot when searing the meat; the fat from the short ribs will render out.

Don’t rush the sear. A deep brown crust on the short ribs translates directly to a richer, more complex sauce. If needed, sear in batches to avoid steaming the meat.

Use a Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. This keeps moisture in and ensures the ragu braises evenly without drying out.

Skim the fat at the end, not the beginning. Letting the sauce rest briefly makes excess fat easier to remove without sacrificing flavor.

Pasta options. Wide, flat noodles hold onto the sauce and shredded beef better than thinner pastas. My favorites are pappardelle, rigatoni, tagliatelle, or mafalde for this recipe.

No food processor? Finely mincing the vegetables by hand works just as well; the goal is a cohesive sauce, not visible chunks.

Make it alcohol-free. Swap the wine for additional beef broth plus a splash of balsamic vinegar for balance.

Make Ahead, Storage, & Reheating

The ragu can be made up to 2 days in advance. Cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container.

Store leftover ragu in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of broth or water to loosen the sauce if needed.

Nutrition