I know many people focus on clean and healthy eating at the beginning of the new year, and while I do generally like to keep my meals on the healthier side, I cannot deny that I love a big bowl of pasta, and so do the hubby and kids. Additionally, it is winter time – the time of big, chunky, belly-covering sweaters. So if you are going to indulge every once in a while, isn’t it best to do it when you can hide that post-carb bloat? I think so, and I think this hearty and meaty pasta with a nice glass of red is exactly what the doctor ordered for these cold winter nights.
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot. Add in the pancetta and allow to crisp, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn. Once browned and crisp, remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain.
While the pancetta is cooking, season the short ribs with salt and pepper and cover in a light coating of flour. After you remove the pancetta from the pot, place the ribs in the pot and brown on all sides – about 8 minutes total. Note: do NOT crowd the pan. Cook the ribs in batches. Once they are browned, remove the ribs to a platter and brown the rest of the ribs.
After the ribs are browned and removed from the pan, add in the diced carrots, celery and onions. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they have softened. Add in the garlic and tomato paste, stir and cook for 1 minute.
With the heat on high, add in the red wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits. Bring the liquid to a simmer and allow to cook until the wine reduces by half.
Once the wine has reduced, add in the tomatoes, beef stock, bay leaves, thyme, oregano and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
Once simmering, add the short ribs back into the pot, making sure they are well submerged. Also be sure you add any juices on the platter back into the pot – those juices are full of flavor! Bring the mixture to a simmer, put the lid on the pot and place in the oven for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, take the pot out and remove the ribs. The meat should be falling off the bone…yummmm. Shred the meat and place it back in the pot. Place the pot over a low heat, bring it to simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes with the cover off to thicken the sauce.
While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it and cook the pasta to at dente, according to package directions. Once cooked, add the pasta directly into the pot with the sauce. If the sauce seems thick, add in some of the starchy pasta water. Stir together and serve hot with some basil and parmesan cheese.
I recently served this dish at a dinner party and it was a huge hit! I also had leftovers and my kids each had 2 full plates for dinner – #momwin! Give this dish a shot, I promise everyone will enjoy and have full bellies!
Short Rib Ragu
This low and slow method takes time but it is worth it. And if you can make it the day before and allow the flavors to develop overnight and then reheat it to serve...even better! This is a great dish to serve for company - feeds a big group and is always a crowd pleaser.
Ingredients
- 2.5 lb bone-in short ribs
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 oz pancetta, diced optional
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 celery stalk diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups red wine
- 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 bay leafs
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 lb tagliatelle, fresh or dried
- fresh parsley for serving
- parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 275.
-
Place the olive oil and pancetta in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Heat together over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally to allow the fat to render out.
-
While the pancetta is crisping, season the short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper and then dredge lightly in flour.
-
Once the pancetta is crisp, remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Set aside.
-
Increase the heat to high and add the short ribs into the pot in 1 layer, being careful not to crowd the pan. Allow to brown on all sides - about 7 minutes total.
-
Remove to a plate, repeat with remaining short ribs and set them all aside.
-
Once the short ribs are seared, add in the onions, celery and carrots and allow to cook and soften for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
-
Add in the garlic and tomato paste and cook while stirring for 1 minute.
-
Pour in the wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow the wine to boil until it has reduced by half.
-
Add in the crushed tomatoes, beef stock, dijon mustard, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, and rosemary. Bring to a simmer.
-
Add the short ribs back into the pan, making sure the juices on the plate are added as well.
-
Bring the mixture back up to a simmer, cover and place in the oven for 2 hours. Check the mixture and stir occasionally.
-
After 2 hours, remove the meat from the pot. Discard the bones and shred the meat. Also remove and discard the 2 bay leaves.
-
Add the shredded meat back into the pot, and then place the pot over low heat, simmering for an additional 20 minutes.
-
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions.
-
Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
-
Combine the pasta and the ragu and mix, adding some of the pasta water if needed to thin out the sauce.
-
Serve hot and top with parsley, cooked pancetta and parmesan cheese.
Leave a Reply