Slow-Braised Beef Ragu with Pappardelle

Instructions

1. 1

   Finely chop the onion, carrot and celery into 5 mm dice. Mince the garlic. Pat the beef chuck dry and cut it into 3 cm cubes, then season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.

   ~15 min

2. 2

   Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef in a single layer and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes total. Work in two batches if the pot is crowded. Transfer the beef to a plate.

   ~6 min

3. 3

   Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pot and cook until softened and golden, 6 to 8 minutes, scraping up the browned bits. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

   ~9 min

4. 4

   Pour in 150 ml red wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the canned crushed tomatoes, 2 bay leaves, the browned beef and 200 ml water. Cover and simmer gently over low heat until the beef is fork-tender, about 90 minutes.

   ~93 min

   Chef's tip
5. 5

   While step 4 cooks

   While the ragu simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, and cook the pappardelle until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve 120 ml pasta water, then drain.

   ~10 min

6. 6

   Discard the bay leaves. Shred the beef with two forks, then stir in the drained pappardelle and enough pasta water to make the sauce cling, about 60 ml. Season with the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Serve topped with grated parmesan.

   ~5 min

   Chef's tip