Here’s a rich and comforting Short Rib Ragu 🍝🥩 — perfect over pasta, polenta, or mashed potatoes.
Ingredients (Serves 4–6)
- 2–3 lbs beef short ribs
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups beef broth
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
- Cooked pasta (pappardelle or rigatoni work great)
Instructions
- Brown the short ribs
- Season ribs with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Brown ribs on all sides (3–4 minutes per side). Remove and set aside.
- Sauté vegetables
- Add onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook 5–7 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Deglaze
- Pour in red wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Simmer 3–5 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Add tomatoes & herbs
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and beef broth.
- Return short ribs to the pot.
- Simmer / braise
- Cover and simmer on low for 2.5–3 hours until meat is tender and falling off the bone.
- Alternatively, bake covered at 325°F (160°C) for 2.5–3 hours.
- Shred the meat
- Remove short ribs from sauce, shred meat, and return to the pot.
- Stir and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Serve
- Spoon over cooked pasta, polenta, or mashed potatoes.
- Garnish with fresh parsley.
Tips
- Extra flavor: Add a splash of balsamic vinegar or a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Make ahead: Ragu tastes even better the next day — store in the fridge or freeze portions.
- Thicker sauce: Simmer uncovered for the last 20–30 minutes to reduce.
If you want, I can give you a slow cooker version of short rib ragu so the meat becomes ultra-tender with minimal hands-on time 😄
Do you want me to do that?
