Slow-Cooked Beef Ragù with Pappardelle (Italian Sunday Sauce with Red Wine and Rosemary)

Ragù di manzo con pappardelle is the kind of slow-cooked beef ragù you find in Tuscan trattorias in autumn: big chunks of beef chuck browned hard, then braised for hours with a soffritto of onion, carrot and celery, red wine, tomatoes, bay and rosemary, until the meat collapses into the sauce. It is shredded rather than ground, so every ribbon of pappardelle picks up strands of beef instead of a fine mince. On a gray weekend afternoon there are few better things to have in the oven.

Three details make this ragù taste like the trattoria version. First, the beef is cut into large chunks and browned properly, in batches, until deeply crusted; that crust is where most of the sauce's savory depth comes from. Second, the soffritto is cooked slowly until sweet before the tomato paste and wine go in, and the wine is reduced until the raw alcohol smell is gone. Third, the pot goes into a low oven with the lid on, which cooks the beef far more evenly than a stovetop burner and needs almost no attention for 3 hours. Finish by tossing sauce, pasta, a little pasta water and parmesan together so the ragù clings to every noodle.

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg (2.6 lb) boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of large fat and cut into 5 cm (2-inch) chunks
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion (about 200 g / 7 oz), finely diced
• 2 medium carrots (about 150 g / 5 oz), finely diced
• 2 celery stalks (about 100 g / 3.5 oz), finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 250 ml (1 cup) dry red wine, such as Chianti or another Sangiovese
• 800 g (two 14 oz cans) whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand with their juice
• 250 ml (1 cup) beef stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 teaspoon chopped leaves to finish
• 500 g (1.1 lb) dried pappardelle, or 600 g (1.3 lb) fresh
• 60 g (2/3 cup) finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more to serve
• 30 g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter (optional, for tossing)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Pat the beef completely dry with paper towels and season all over with the salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.
2. Brown the beef in two batches so the pieces do not touch, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until a deep brown crust forms on at least two sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Do not rush this step. Transfer the beef to a plate.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of oil, the onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft and beginning to turn golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, until it darkens to brick red.
4. Pour in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to lift the browned bits. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until the wine has reduced by about half and the sharp alcohol smell has cooked off.
5. Add the crushed tomatoes with their juice, the beef stock, bay leaves and rosemary sprigs. Return the beef and any juices from the plate. The liquid should just about cover the meat; add a splash more stock if needed. Bring to a gentle simmer.
6. Cover with the lid and transfer the pot to the oven. Braise for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, stirring once halfway through, until a fork slides into the beef with no resistance and the meat begins to fall apart. (Stovetop alternative: keep the pot on the lowest heat with the lid slightly ajar and stir every 30 to 45 minutes.)
7. Remove the bay leaves and rosemary stems. Shred the beef into bite-sized strands with two forks right in the pot. If the sauce looks thin, set the pot over medium heat and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring, until it is thick enough to coat a spoon. Season with more salt and pepper.
8. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the pappardelle for 1 minute less than the package says (2 to 3 minutes for fresh). Scoop out 250 ml (1 cup) of the pasta water, then drain.
9. Return the pasta to its pot over low heat with about two-thirds of the ragù, the butter and a splash of pasta water. Toss for 1 to 2 minutes, adding more pasta water as needed, until the sauce turns glossy and clings to the noodles. Stir in half the parmesan.
10. Divide among warm bowls, spoon the remaining ragù over the top, and finish with the rest of the parmesan, the chopped rosemary and a crack of black pepper. Serve immediately.

Tips

• Cut of beef: chuck is ideal because its fat and collagen melt into the sauce. Boneless short rib, brisket point or beef shank all work with the same timing. Avoid lean cuts like sirloin, which turn dry and stringy.
• No wine? Use an extra 250 ml (1 cup) of beef stock plus 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar for acidity. Pappardelle can be swapped for tagliatelle, fettuccine or a sturdy short shape like rigatoni or paccheri; anything thin like spaghetti gets lost under a sauce this heavy.
• Make ahead and storage: the ragù is even better the next day. Cool it, then keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months in portions. Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water or stock, and always cook the pasta fresh. Do not freeze the sauced pasta.
• What to serve with it: a sharp green salad with lemon vinaigrette, crusty bread to wipe the bowl, and the same red wine you cooked with. Leftover ragù is wonderful over soft polenta or layered into lasagna.
• Slow cooker or pressure cooker: after step 5, cook on low for 8 hours in a slow cooker, or 55 minutes at high pressure with a natural release. Both give a thinner sauce, so reduce it uncovered for 15 minutes before shredding.
• For a silkier sauce, stir in 60 ml (1/4 cup) of whole milk or cream with the shredded beef and simmer for 5 minutes; it rounds out the tomato acidity.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is an estimate only: about 680 kcal, 48 g protein, 24 g fat, 62 g carbohydrate per serving.