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I’m going to get right to facts with this one. Fact: this is one of my favorite dishes that I have ever made. I don’t say that lightly. This Shredded Beef Ragu with Pappardelle, for me, is the IDEAL weekend meal. Maybe not every weekend because it takes a little time to make, but mostly because it’s so good that you want it to feel special every time that you make it. And if you’re having it every Saturday, it just won’t feel as special. If that’s even possible. I don’t know. I do know that my family probably wouldn’t complain if I made this every Saturday. So maybe I’ll give it a try and get back to you on that one.
I digress.
Another fact: I guarantee you that if you invite company over for this meal, they will be totally impressed. While it’s really very simple to make, it tastes super complex. The thing that makes it so decadent is how fantastically the flavors develop in the couple of hours that this takes to cook. It takes about 2-2.5 hours for the beef to become tender enough to shred, but really you could even leave this ragu in the oven for 4 or 5 hours if you wanted to deepen the flavors. But… food for thought- you might not want to have company over for this dinner because it is insanely yummy the next day as leftovers.
Let me show you how I made this Shredded Beef Ragu with Pappardelle 👇🏻
Start by preheating your oven to 275 degrees. You want to cook this low and slow.
Season the chuck roast (you could also use London broil or any other similar cut of beef) well with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven or other large oven-proof pot, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over high heat. Add the beef and sear both sides for about 3 minutes per side until there is a nice crust. Remove the beef to a plate and lower the heat to medium.
Add the onion, celery and carrot to the pot. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the veggies soften and are crisp-tender.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then add the red wine and cook at a simmer until it reduces slightly, about 2-3 minutes.
Now add the beef broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, sugar, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, crushed red pepper flakes and 1 tsp EACH salt and pepper.
Give it a good stir and bring it to a boil. Then turn off the heat and add the beef (and its juices) back to the pot.
Cover the pot and cook in the oven for about 2 hours until the beef is tender and falling apart. When the beef is (that) tender, remove the pot from the oven. Fish out the bay leaves and remove the beef to a cutting board and shred it up.
Add the shredded beef back to the pot along with the heavy cream. The heavy cream is totally optional. I, personally, love the little bit of extra creaminess that it gives the ragu. Cover the pot back up and pop it back in the oven for another 20-30 minutes to let every inch of that shredded beef soak up all of the flavor in the sauce. Now is a good time to start cooking your pasta.
As far as pasta goes, you could use almost any pasta. I prefer pappardelle or tagliatelle because I think this ragu does well with a thick noodle to hold the sauce. You could also serve this over polenta or grits. Really, I could eat this on a shoe and be totally content.
So this is what the ragu will look like after about 2.5 hours 👇🏻
To serve: divide the pasta (or whatever you’re using) into bowls. Add a ladle or two of the ragu over top of the pasta.
**If you’d like to thin the ragu out slightly, add a ladle of the pasta water to it. The starch in the water will also help the ragu to stick to the pasta**
Top the pasta with some freshly shredded Parmesan cheese and some chopped fresh parsley.
Before digging in, stand and admire it. Isn’t she pretty?
Now get in there! You deserve it!
Enjoy!
These are the recommended products that I used to make this delicious recipe! These are not only products that I use, but products that I love.
Shredded Beef Ragu with Pappardelle
This Shredded Beef Ragu with Pappardelle is an amazing delicious meal that will impress anyone who eats it!
Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
Total Time 2 hours hours 50 minutes minutes
Servings 8 Servings
Author Maggie @ Cupcakes and Sarcasm
Ingredients
- 2 Lbs Chuck Roast, London Broil (or similar beef cut)
- 2 Tbsp EVOO
- 1 Cup Sweet Onion, diced
- 1 Cup Carrots, diced
- 1 Cup Celery, diced
- 3 Large Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1/2 Cup Red Wine
- 1 Cup Low-Sodium Beef Broth
- 28 Oz Canned Crushed Tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 2 Tsp Italian Seasoning
- 2 Bay Leaves
- Salt and Pepper
- Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
- 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream (optional)
- Parmesan Cheese, for serving
- Chopped Fresh Parsley, for serving
- 1 Lb Pappardelle Pasta (or similar wide noodle pasta)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In aDutch Oven (or other large oven-proof pot), heat the EVOO over high heat. Season the roast well with salt and pepper and add the the pot. Sear on both sides for about 3-5 minutes per side until there is a nice crust. Remove the roast to a plate and lower heat to medium.
Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook 3-5 minutes until the veggies begin to soften. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the red wine and cook, stirring often, for about 2-3 minutes at a simmer until some of the wine has been reduced. Then add the beef broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, sugar, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, crushed red pepper (if using) and about 1 tsp EACH of salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil.
Turn off heat and add the roast (and juices) back to the pot. Cover and cook 2 hours or until the meat is tender and falling apart.
When the meat is super tender (about 2-2.5 hours later) remove the pot from the oven. Remove the bay leaves. Then remove the beef to a cutting board and shred it, discarding any fatty pieces.
Add the beef back to the sauce. Add the heavy cream (if using) and stir. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary. Place back in the oven to cook another 20-30 minutes. Cook your pasta during this time.
Divide the pasta into bowls and top with a ladle or two of the ragu. Serve topped with fresh shaved parmesan cheese and some chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy!
