Beef Ragu with Pappardelle
There are recipes you make on a Tuesday and recipes you make when you want to feel like you are sitting in a little Italian restaurant with a glass of red wine and nowhere to be. Beef ragu with pappardelle is firmly in the second category. This is a slow-cooked, deeply flavored, fall-apart-tender beef sauce that clings to every wide, silky noodle. It is the kind of pasta that makes people go quiet at the dinner table because they are too busy eating to talk.
Yes, this recipe takes a couple of hours. But the actual hands-on time is minimal, and the result is so far beyond anything you could get from a jar that it is absolutely worth it. I make this on Sunday afternoons when the house smells incredible all day, and we eat like royalty that night.
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Beef Ragu with Pappardelle
Ingredients
Method
- Pat beef dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear beef in batches until deeply browned on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook until softened, about 8 minutes.
- Add garlic and tomato paste. Cook 2 minutes until paste darkens slightly.
- Pour in red wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Let it reduce by half, about 5 minutes.
- Add crushed tomatoes, beef broth, rosemary, and thyme. Return beef to the pot. Bring to a simmer.
- Cover and cook on very low heat for 2 to 2.5 hours until beef is completely fall-apart tender. Shred with two forks directly in the pot.
- Cook pappardelle according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water. Toss pasta with ragu, adding pasta water as needed. Serve with Parmesan and fresh parsley.
Notes
Why This Beef Ragu is Worth the Time
The secret to a great ragu is time and patience. The long, slow braise transforms tough, collagen-rich beef chuck into something silky and deeply savory that you simply cannot achieve by rushing. The red wine adds complexity, the soffritto (the onion, carrot, celery base) builds a sweet, aromatic foundation, and the tomatoes add acidity to balance everything out. A good heavy Dutch oven is essential for this recipe because it distributes heat so evenly and holds a steady low simmer without scorching the bottom. It is one of the best investments in your kitchen, full stop.
Tips for the Best Beef Ragu
Do not skip the searing step. Getting a deep, dark crust on every side of the beef before braising adds incredible flavor to the final dish. Work in batches so the pan stays hot and you get a sear, not a steam. Use a dry red wine that you would actually drink, it does not need to be expensive but it should taste good. And keep the simmer truly low, you want to see just a few bubbles breaking the surface, not a rolling boil. Stir occasionally and add a splash of broth if the sauce looks too thick before the beef is tender.
Why Pappardelle is the Right Pasta
Pappardelle are those beautiful wide, flat ribbons of pasta, and they are the absolute best match for a chunky, meaty ragu. The width means every forkful catches big ribbons of pasta plus plenty of sauce and shredded beef. Tagliatelle or fettuccine work as substitutes, but if you can find pappardelle, use it. The visual alone is stunning and the texture is unbeatable.
The Bottom Line
Beef ragu with pappardelle is the kind of recipe that becomes a legend in your household. It takes time, but it is the most rewarding kitchen project you will do all week. Make a big batch, because the leftovers are even better the next day after all the flavors have had another night to meld together.
xo, Pam
