Slow-cooked beef ragu pasta
Pasta bathed in a rich sauce of tender, slow-cooked beef, tomatoes and wine.
How long will it take?
3 hours
What’s the serving size?
Serves 4-6
What do I need?
- 1kg beef blade roast, cut into 4 pieces
- Plain flour, for dusting
- ¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 brown onion, thickly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 cup (250ml) dry red wine
- 2 cups (500ml) beef stock
- 1 cup (250ml) water
- 1 x 400g can cherry tomatoes
- 4 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon caster (superfine) sugar
- 400g caserecci pasta, or rigatoni
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
- ½ cup basil leaves
- Shaved grana padano to serve
How do I make it?
- Preheat oven to 180ºC.
- Dust the beef in flour, shaking to remove any excess.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy-based oven-proof saucepan over high heat.
- Cook the beef for 2–3 minutes each side or until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Reduce heat to low, add the remaining oil, onion and garlic and cook for 6–8 minutes or until softened.
- Increase heat to high. Add the wine and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan, for 2–3 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.
- Add the stock, water, tomatoes, bay leaves, tomato paste and sugar and stir to combine. Return the beef to the pan and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Transfer to the oven and roast for 2 hours.
- Remove the lid and roast for a further 30 minutes.
- Remove beef from the pan and shred the meat using 2 forks, discarding any fat.
- Return meat to the sauce and mix to combine. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 10–12 minutes or until al dente.
- Drain, return to the pan with the beef sauce, salt, pepper and toss to combine. Top with basil and grana padano to serve.
Recipe from Donna Hay
