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Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Pasta

Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Pasta

This Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Pasta is a beautiful Italian dish with luscious flavors, perfect for a family meal.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Course Pasta, Slow Cooked
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 people
Calories 678 kcal

Equipment

  • heavy based pot

Ingredients
  

Ragu

  • 1.2 kg chuck beef cut into equal 4 pieces
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • to taste black pepper
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil separated
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1 cup carrots diced
  • 1 cup celery diced
  • 800 g crushed canned tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 cubes beef bouillon crumbled
  • 1.5 cups red wine full bodied or beef broth/stock
  • 1.5 cups water
  • 0.75 teaspoon dried thyme or 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 3 leaves bay leaves

To Serve (Not all Sauce is used)

  • 1 lb dried pappardelle or other pasta of choice
  • freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • fresh parsley finely chopped (optional)

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Pat beef dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Sear Beef: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat in a heavy based pot. Add beef and sear each piece aggressively on all sides until very browned (3 - 5 minutes in total), then remove onto a plate.
  • Turn stove down to medium low and add remaining 2 tablespoon of olive oil.
  • Soffrito: Add garlic and onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add the carrots and celery and sauté slowly for 5 minutes.
  • Add remaining Ragu ingredients and return the beef to the pot (including pooled juices). Turn the stove up and bring it to a simmer, then turn it down to low so it's bubbling very gently.
  • Slow cook: Cover the pot and let it cook for 2 hours or until beef is tender enough to shred.
  • Shred: Remove beef then coarsely shred with 2 forks. Return beef to the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes until sauce is reduced and thickened.
  • Final season: Do a taste test and adjust the seasoning to your taste with salt and pepper, add ½ teaspoon sugar if necessary. Set aside until ready to serve.

To Serve

  • Bring a very large pot of water with 1 tablespoon of salt to the boil.
  • Add pasta and cook for 1 minute less than the recommended cooking time as per the packet instructions.
  • Meanwhile, place 5 cups of the Ragu in a very large fry pan, dutch oven or use 2 normal size fry pans. Heat over high heat while the pasta is cooking.
  • When the pasta is ready, transfer it directly from the pot into the fry pan using tongs.
  • Add ¾ cup of pasta water into the fry pan.
  • Gently toss the pasta for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce water evaporates and leaves you with a thick Ragu sauce that coats the pasta.
  • Serve immediately with plenty of freshly grated parmesan, or parmigiano reggiano.

Notes

This recipe is based on classic slow cooked ragu recipes from Italian greats. Adjust sweetness of the sauce with sugar if necessary.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portionCalories: 678kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 42gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 170mgSodium: 1451mgPotassium: 1155mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 3105IUVitamin C: 13.2mgCalcium: 107mgIron: 6.4mg
Keyword Beef ragu, Ragu, Ragu Sauce, Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu
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