Y’all, my Beef Ragu recipe is slow-braised and in a rich tomato sauce that melts in your mouth. It’s got so much savory flavor making it so dang on good! Each bite has juicy beef with tomatoes, herbs and pasta! Serve up a bowl with a side of caesar salad and garlic bread, and get your whole life.
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Beef short rib ragu ingredients
- Beef: Short ribs are what I use. Swap these out with pot roast, beef shanks or even oxtails.
- Flavors: Salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil.
- Aromatics: Chopped onions and minced garlic.
- Tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce are both needed.
- Red Wine and Stock: You can leave the alcohol out of the ragu recipe entirely and just use more chicken stock.
- Italian Herbs & Spice: Italian seasoning, some sugar for balance, and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Pasta: Pappardelle pasta’s wide, flat ribbons. Toss in some other pasta options like rigatoni, fettuccine or tagliatelle.
How to make Ragu
Get to Searing
Step 1: Liberally season both sides of beef with salt and pepper. Don’t be shy. They will need lots of flavor. Add olive oil to large pot over medium high heat on stove. Once olive oil is hot, add beef to pot.
Step 2: Deeply brown on all sides then remove from pot.
Build the Ragu Sauce
Step 3: Scrape the bottom of the pan to get the flavor back into the oil. Next add chopped onion. Sweat them for a few minutes until they soften and turn golden. Next add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Step 4: Add in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, red wine, and chicken stock. Stir in Italian seasoning, sugar, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste. Bring sauce to a simmer.
Cook Low and Slow
Step 5: Lastly return browned beef to pot and submerge in the sauce. Bake covered for 3 1/2- 4 1/2 hours or until beef is cooked through, tender and falling off the bone and sauce has thickened.
Step 6: Remove oil from the top then heat over medium heat to thicken the sauce.
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Step 7: Serve completed gravy by adding pasta to serving platter and mixing together with gravy to sauce the noodles then topping with meat and gravy with garnishes if you prefer.
Beef Ragu
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds short ribs beef shanks or pot roast
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes 1 can
- 15 ounces tomato sauce 1 can
- 1/3 cup red wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning and herbs
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pound pappardelle pasta cooked
- chopped parsley and parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Liberally season both sides of beef with salt and pepper. Don’t be shy. They will need lots of flavor.
- Add olive oil to large pot over medium high heat on stove.
- Once olive oil is hot, add beef to pot and deeply brown on all sides then remove from pot.
- Scrape the bottom of the pan to get the flavor back into the oil. Next add chopped onion and sweat them for a few minutes until they start to soften and turn golden.
- Add in minced garlic and only cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, red wine, and chicken stock. Stir in Italian seasoning, sugar, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste. Bring sauce to a simmer.
- Lastly return browned beef to pot and submerge in the sauce.
- Bake covered for 3 1/2- 4 1/2 hours or until beef is cooked through, tender and falling off the bone and sauce has thickened. This will depend on the thickness of beef.
- Remove pot from oven and gently ladle the oil off the top of the sauce which has settled. Simmer over medium low heat to thicken sauce.
- Cook pasta according to instructions on package and drain.
- Serve completed gravy by adding pasta to serving platter and mixing together with gravy to sauce the noodles then topping with meat and gravy and garnishing with chopped parsley and parmesan cheese.
Notes
How to store & reheat ragu
To store ragu, let it cool completely, then transfer it into an airtight container. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, reheat it slowly on the stove over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s warmed through. This method ensures the roast stays tender and flavorful, just like when it was first cooked!How long will beef ragu last in the fridge?
It will last for up to 3-4 days.Can I freeze ragu spaghetti sauce?
Absolutely boos. Once it’s cooled completely, add leftovers to freezer bags, sign with the date then freeze them up. You can freeze up to 3 months. When you wanna enjoy again, let the ragu thaw in the fridge overnight.Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Get It Marbled: Make sure you cuts of meat are nice and marbled. That equals more flavor in the end.
- Brown It Up: Don’t skip browning the meat. That searing at the beginning starts the flavor development.
- Pick the Good Stuff: Make sure you use an incredible wine that you would actually drink. Avoid using the cooking wines you find on the shelves in the grocery store. That ain’t it boos.
- Make Sure You Deglaze: When I tell ya to scrape those bits of browned bits up from the bottom of the pan, do it. It gets all those caramelized notes in the mix.
- Low and Slow Boos: The way to let those flavors intensify is to let them cook at a low and slow pace carefully allow that beef to cook down and tenderize while enriching the sauce even more.
Recipe help
Absolutely boos. In fact, you should! It tastes even better after resting for a day in the fridge and reheating. The extra day lets those flavors mingle into something super special.
Nope boos. You can leave it out. Just replace with more stock and add a splash of balsamic or apple cider vinegar to give a little extra note of tang and essence.
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I have made this meal several times with short ribs and OMG love it!! This weekend however was really cold and rainy and I just didn’t want to go out so I had a pork shoulder in the freezer and tried this recipe using that. and it didn’t disappoint – my kids liked it better with the pork, but I still prefer the short ribs. Just wanted to let everyone know that pork is an option and thank you again for all your amazing recipes!!
I must try it with the pork shoulder. Sounds amazing.
Pot Roast?? what type of meat do YOU actually buy? I made it with chuck boneless shoulder and bottom round roast..tasty
tx
Thank you for this!!!
I must ask, was this restaurant possibly named Cafe Bionda near the south loop. Been there and would always order it. Now I have to try this recipe! That is for the post!
Yep it totally is! My husband actually says he loves this pasta more than theirs haha. Enjoy!
I have revived this recipe for Easter this year. Am making a pork shoulder roast, which I love, and am making Nana’s Italian Pot Roast as a side dish. I think I will be the most popular one this year! Thank you, Jocelyn, for this delicious recipe!
Hi Jocelyn,
I’ve made this recipe before and it’s fantastic! I want to make it this Sunday for 4-6 people, so while this recipe calls for a 2 lb roast, I want to buy a 4lb roast to ensure there’s lots of food and leftovers too. How much roasting time do I add when doubling this recipe?
Thank you!
Hi Courtney, I would probably add another 45-60 minutes to it but just check it to see exactly when it will be done. I hope it turns out well! So glad you enjoy this recipe. It is one of our faves!
Taking a guess at the Chicago Restaurant….Cafe Bionda???
Yes that’s right!
This dishes looks amazing. I am not a chef by any means, but I tried this and it was delicious!! Thanks for sharing!
This recipe “saved the day” two nights ago!! My husband is the primary chef (quite a gourmet) and cooks 90% of the time. In a moment of insanity, I invited five dinner guests (which would make a total of nine, with the four of us) on one of his long days at work. This meant I was stuck making dinner and was functioning in panic mode. I’ve made Italian pot roast in my crock pot, but it didn’t hold a candle to “Nana’s Pot Roast”!! It was awesome, accompanied by a delicious salad and Pinot Grigio (not the classic red, but delicious, nonetheless!).
Thank you, Jocelyn!!
Wonderful!!
This is one the best Italian dishes I have ever eaten! Thanks for sharing!
I have made this dish many times now. It is an absolute favourite. My husband and I love it, with a great bottle of red wine of course. Really, I pin, and print so many recipes from the net; but this one is one of the best. A real keeper.
Thank you so much Mia! So grateful that you enjoyed it. It is my husband’s fave recipe too!