Description
Rich, slow-braised short ribs create a velvety tomato sauce perfect for wide pasta like pappardelle or rigatoni. This comforting Italian classic delivers restaurant-quality flavor at home with fall-apart tender beef and deep umami from soffritto and red wine. Perfect for cozy Sunday dinners!
Ingredients
Scale
- 3–4 lbs bone-in short ribs (or boneless; trim excess fat; grass-fed for best flavor)
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine (Chianti or Cab; sub beef broth)
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (San Marzano preferred)
- 3 cups beef broth (low-sodium, homemade ideal)
- 1 Parmesan rind (optional)
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs (or 1 tsp dried)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or milk
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- 1 lb pappardelle or rigatoni
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste (kosher sea salt preferred)
Instructions
- Pat ribs dry, season generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium-high. Sear ribs in batches, 3-4 minutes per side until deeply browned. Transfer to plate; reserve fond.
- Lower heat to medium. Add diced onion, carrots, celery. Cook 10-15 minutes until softened and caramelized. Stir in minced garlic and tomato paste; cook 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in red wine, scrape browned bits. Simmer 3 minutes to reduce. Add crushed tomatoes, beef broth, Parmesan rind, thyme, bay leaves, and reserved rib juices. Nestle ribs back in.
- Bring to boil, cover. Braise in 325°F oven or stovetop low 2.5-3 hours. Check at 40 minutes; stir and add water if needed. Meat done when fork-tender.
- Remove ribs, shred meat off bones (discard bones/fat). Skim sauce fat. Return meat to pot. Stir in cream and Parmesan. Simmer 10 minutes.
- Boil pasta al dente (1 min less). Reserve 1 cup water. Drain, toss with ragu 2-3 minutes, adding water for sauce consistency.
Notes
Build flavor layers: Sear well and caramelize soffritto. Low slow braise prevents toughness. Skim fat for balance. Reserve pasta water.
Slow cooker: After step 3, low 6-8 hours.
Instant Pot: High pressure 90 min.
Gluten-free: Use Jovial pasta.
Storage: Refrigerate sauce separate up to 5 days. Freeze 3 months. Reheat stovetop with broth.
- Prep Time: PT30M
- Cook Time: PT210M
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Braising
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 850
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 1200
- Fat: 45
- Saturated Fat: 20
- Unsaturated Fat: 22
- Trans Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 65
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 45
- Cholesterol: 150