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Slowly Braised Beef Short Rib Ragu

Fall-apart tender beef short ribs simmered with soffritto, fresh herbs, tomatoes, and red wine for a bold, hearty Italian ragu. Perfect over wide pappardelle, creamy polenta, or pillowy gnocchi — this is the ultimate comfort food dinner.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 665
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 pounds English cut beef short ribs
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 stalk celery, finely diced
  • 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
  • 6 ounces tomato paste
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 1 package (0.75 oz) fresh poultry herb blend (rosemary, sage, thyme)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 optional parmesan rind
  • 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cups low-sodium beef broth or water
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
  • 24 ounces pappardelle or pasta of choice
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • additional parmesan and fresh herbs, for serving

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven for braising short ribs
  • Wooden spoon to scrape browned bits
  • Tongs for handling short ribs
  • large pot to boil pasta

Method
 

  1. Pat short ribs dry. Season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in Dutch oven and brown ribs on all sides, 3–4 min per side. Remove and set aside.
  2. In same pot, sauté carrots, onion, and celery in remaining oil until deeply browned, 15–20 min. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Add garlic and cook 1–2 min. Stir in tomato paste and cook until darkened, 2–3 min.
  4. Deglaze with red wine, scraping up browned bits. Cook until nearly absorbed, 3–4 min.
  5. Add herbs, bay leaves, parmesan rind, crushed tomatoes, broth, and browned ribs. Bring to boil, then reduce to low. Cover and simmer 2.5–3 hrs until ribs are tender.
  6. Remove ribs, shred meat, discard bones and herbs. Return shredded beef to pot and stir.
  7. Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
  8. Stir cream and parmesan into ragu. Toss pasta with sauce, adding pasta water if needed to loosen. Cook 1–2 min for flavors to meld.
  9. Serve in bowls topped with parmesan, fresh herbs, or crushed red pepper. Enjoy!

Notes

Storage: Store cooled ragu in an airtight container in the fridge for 4–5 days. Flavors deepen as it sits.
Freezing: Freeze cooled ragu up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge and reheat gently.
Oven Method: Braise covered at 325°F for 2.5–3 hrs.
Slow Cooker: Cook on low 7–8 hrs or high 4–5 hrs.
Instant Pot: Pressure cook on high 50 min, natural release 10 min.
Serving: Toss with pasta, or serve atop polenta or gnocchi. Garnish with parmesan and fresh herbs.
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