This beef short rib ragu is where Italian comfort food and fine dining meet at your dinner table. Fall apart, braised short ribs in a rich red wine sauce served over pappardelle noodles is a meal you’ll be dreaming about!
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What is Beef Short Rib Ragu?
Beef short rib ragu is so good, it’s kind of unreal. You’d think this Italian comfort food would only be reserved for special occasions; however, in my world, it’s way too good not to be eating it more often!
This short rib ragu recipe is easy and well worth the simmering time it takes to give the sauce its rich flavor and for the beef to become meltingly tender. It’s made by searing the short ribs for a nice crust and then it’s simmered in a red wine and beef broth for a couple of hours until the meat just falls off the bones. Once the beef is fall-apart tender enough to shred, along with the juices, it becomes this incredibly beautiful ragu sauce.
I love tossing the sauce with pappardelle pasta and served with parmesan cheese with a side of crusty bread or garlic breadsticks and a glass of red wine.
Just as comforting to eat as ground beef stroganoff, chicken parmesan casserole, and stuffed pasta shells, but the flavors of this ragu are enough to elevate any pasta night.
Ingredients Notes
The complete list of ingredients with amounts are listed in the full recipe card below.
- Bone-in beef short ribs: A meaty and marbled cut of beef. Keep the bone in for flavor. If you find there is too much excess fat, you can trim it. You’re looking for English cut, not flanken ribs.
- Seasoning: I use garlic powder, salt and pepper to season the beef before searing it.
- Olive oil: For searing the ribs to give them a beautiful brown edge.
- Carrots, celery, onion, and garlic: Peeled and diced carrots, sliced celery, and diced sweet onion are the flavor base of the liquid which will eventually become a sauce.
- Beef broth and red wine: Use your favorite beef broth; homemade is great too. Use any kind of dry red wine like a cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, or merlot. Nothing fancy; just use whatever you’ll want to drink the rest of.
- Spaghetti sauce and tomato paste: Adds the tomato sauce element to bring this Italian meat sauce together. Gives the sauce its color and acidity, and the tomato paste also helps to thicken it.
- Fresh herbs: Fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage leaves can all be replaced with 1 teaspoon each of dried herbs. You’ll also need a couple of bay leaves. Throw them in whole so they’re easy to retrieve later on.
- Pappardelle pasta: Thick, slurpy, soft noodles that are wide enough to hold all of that yummy ragu!
- Parmesan cheese: You’ll need some to mix into sauce and some for garnish. You can use Romano cheese too.
- Fresh parsley or herbs: For an optional garnish.
Variations you can Make
1. any pasta you prefer. Penne, rigatoni, tagliatelle, linguine, potato gnocchi etc.
2. As much as I recommend bone-in short ribs, you can make this with boneless short ribs too
3. In a pinch, and no longer a short rib ragu, this recipe works with any kind of shredded beef like a chuck roast.
How to Make Short Ribs Ragu with Pappardelle Pasta
Once the meat is braised and shredded, this recipe will come together with a few simple steps. It takes some time, but it’s well worth it!
Step 1: Pat the short ribs dry with paper towels, season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then sear them in a large Dutch oven or pot in oil over medium-high heat. Make sure the pot is hot first; you want to hear that sizzle. Brown for 2-3 minutes per side and add any extra oil between each batch, if needed. Set the browned ribs aside on a plate.
Step 2: Reduce to medium heat and add the celery, carrots, and onions to sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute until it’s fragrant.
Step 3: Pour in the red wine. Use a wooden spoon to remove the browned bits off the bottom of the pot for extra flavor. Then, add the beef broth, pasta sauce, tomato sauce, fresh herbs, and bay leaves. Stir to combine.
Step 4: Add the browned short ribs back into the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 ½–3 hours, until the meat falls off the bone.
Step 5: Transfer the short ribs to a cutting board to remove the bones and shred apart the beef. Increase the temperature under the pot to medium and allow the sauce to boil with the lid off for about 15 minutes until it starts to thicken. Stir occasionally. Add the shredded beef back into the Dutch oven and stir.
Step 6: Cook the pasta separately in a large pot of salted water according to package directions. Drain it and set it aside.
Step 7: Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the shredded Parmesan cheese. Add cooked noodles and toss to coat with the sauce, making sure every strand of noodle has some sauce!
Step 8: Serve garnished with extra parmesan and fresh herbs like parsley or basil.
Can I make Ragu in a Slow Cooker?
Absolutely! If you’re lucky enough to have a crockpot that has multiple functions, including searing, then the entire ragu recipe can be made in your slow cooker.
If not, sear the beef and sauté the veggies as directed, then add everything into the basin of the slow cooker and carry on from there. You can cook it on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally.
Tips
If the sauce is too thick, add a little extra beef broth. You can also use any reserved pasta water you may have left over.
If it’s too thin, continue simmering without the lid until it has reached your desired consistency.
How to Store Leftovers
Refrigerate: Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze: If you plan to freeze it, I suggest freezing the sauce on its own. It’ll keep for up to 3 months. Freezing pasta noodles becomes a bit tricky because once they’re thawed they’re mushy. I say, when you’re ready to enjoy the sauce again, serve it with fresh pasta.
Reheat: This reheats well in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove until heated through . Nothing fancy is needed!
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Best Easy Beef Short Rib Ragu
Ingredients
- 4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided for searing
- 4 large carrots peeled and diced
- 5 stalks celery sliced
- 1 large sweet onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup red wine
- 24 ounces spaghetti sauce 1 jar
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves finely diced, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves finely diced, or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 teaspoons fresh sage leaves finely diced, or 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 2 bay leaves
- 8.8 ounces pappardelle pasta
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese plus more for topping
- Fresh parsley or herbs for garnish
Instructions
- Pat the ribs dry with a paper towel and sprinkle them evenly with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Sear the meat. In a large dutch oven or pot, add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and heat over medium-high heat for one minute.3 tablespoons olive oil
- Once the pot is hot and working in small batches, sear the short ribs for 2-3 minutes on each side until browned. Add a tablespoon more of oil to the between each batch if needed.
- Place all the seared ribs to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the diced celery, carrots and onions to the same pot and sauté for 3-4 minutes until tender and the onions start to get translucent4 large carrots, 5 stalks celery, 1 large sweet onion
- Then add the minced garlic and sauté for an additional minute.5 cloves garlic
- Add in the red wine and using a wooden spoon, scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot to deglaze it.1 cup red wine
- Then add in the beef broth, pasta sauce, tomato paste, rosemary, sage, thyme, and bay leaves and stir to combine.1 cup beef broth, 24 ounces spaghetti sauce, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, 2 teaspoons fresh sage leaves, 2 bay leaves
- Place the seared short ribs back into the pot and bring to a boil.
- Cover, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 2 ½-3 hours, until the meat falls off the bone easily.
- Once the meat is tender, remove the ribs from the pot and place them on a cutting board and remove the bones. Increase the heat to medium and let the sauce continue to boil and thicken with the lid off for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Use two forks to shred the beef and then return it back to the dutch oven and stir.
- Cook the pasta separate according to your package directions and drain the water into a colander in the sink and set aside.8.8 ounces pappardelle pasta
- Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the shredded parmesan cheese and then add in the cooked noodles and toss to coat with the sauce.1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- Garnish with more parmesan cheese if desired when serving. We love it with crusty bread!Fresh parsley or herbs
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
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