A budget cut of beef, simple pantry ingredients, a bit of patience and pappardelle pasta. This Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Sauce with Pappardelle may be the king of all pastas. It is hands down one of my all time favourite pastas ever!
Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Sauce
There’s this annoying thing that’s been a thorn in my backside all my working life. This thing called pride.
I’m not a professional food photographer, or food stylist, videographer or a chef for that matter. But that doesn’t matter. What does matter is being proud of everything that I have on my website, knowing that even if there are people out there who can take better photos and make better videos, that I’ve done the best I can do and I’m proud of what I’m sharing.
3 years into blogging with over 500 recipes, I still get butterflies when I hit Publish on a new or updated recipe.
And having rewritten, rephotographed and made a video for this Shredded Beef Ragu which I first shared over 2 years ago, yes I’m going to have butterflies when I hit Publish on this (again!) because it’s one of my all time personal favourites. 🙂
I have a weakness for all things slow cooked, but hands down this shredded beef ragu is one of my all time favourites. I’d dare say I love it even more than traditional Ragu Alla Bolognese. It’s the shredded beef that seals the deal for me. The way it soaks up the sauce and clings to the pasta. It’s an absolute ripper!
I’m pretty sure I first learned how to make Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Sauce with Pappardelle from Lidia Bastianich. Years ago, her show “Lidia’s Italy” was one of the few cooking shows on free-to-air TV and I used to watch them over and over again. Almost everything I know about Italian cooking (including the reason why I was hunting down Kale a decade before it became “cool”) is because of Lidia Bastianich. Old school, real deal Italian. 🙂
Best Pasta to serve with Ragu
The question of what type of pasta to serve with different pasta sauces is a question that I get asked quite regularly. Generally, most pasta sauces will pair perfectly well with most common pasta types, like spaghetti, fettuccine, linguine, penne / ziti, macaroni, shells etc.
And while this Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Sauce will be great with any type of pasta, the best pasta for a rich sauce like this ragu is pappardelle. This wide, flat pasta is especially great for this recipe because the shredded beef clings to the wide strands.
For pappardelle, I am quite particular about which brand I use because I’ve had problems in the past with uneven cooking. I use San Remo which is a well known trusted brand here in Australia. The pappardelle is bundled into nests so they are fully submerged when dropped into boiling water, and the nests are loose enough so the bubbling water separates the strands and the pappardelle cooks evenly.
You’ll find San Remo pappardelle at all the major supermarkets as well as fresh produce stores and delis. And here’s a photo for size context – giant pasta in my Baby Hands…..
Oh – and the other reason San Remo Pappardelle is my pasta of choice for ragu is because it’s an egg pasta. The addition of egg makes the pappardelle stronger so it doesn’t break when tossed in the thick, rich sauce.
If you’ve just invested hours of patience, slow cooking the sauce to tender perfection, you’ll make me cry if you just dump cooked pasta in a bowl and spoon over the sauce. And the entire nation of Italy will cry with me. 😉 Please promise me you will toss the ragu with the pasta before serving! It is worth it, I promise. Look how every strand of the pappardelle is beautifully coated in that luscious ragu!! – Nagi xx
Watch How To Make It
Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Sauce with Pappardelle recipe video!
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Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Pasta
Ingredients
Ragu
- 1.2kg / 2.5 lb chuck beef or other slow cooking beef cut, cut into equal 4 pieces (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp salt
- Black pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil , separated
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 onion , diced
- 1 cup carrots , diced (Note 2)
- 1 cup celery , diced (Note 2)
- 800g / 28oz crushed canned tomatoes
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 beef bouillon cubes , crumbled (Note 3)
- 1 cup / 250ml red wine , full bodied (like merlot, cabernet sauvignon), or sub with beef broth/stock
- 1 1/2 cups / 375 ml water (Note 3)
- 3/4 tsp dried thyme or 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 dried bay leaves
To Serve (Not all Sauce is used)
- 1 lb /500g dried pappardelle , or other pasta of choice (Note 4)
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese or parmigiano reggiano
- Fresh parsley , finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Pat beef dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper
- Sear Beef: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over high heat in a heavy based pot. Add beef and sear each piece aggressively on all sides until very browned (3 – 5 minutes in total), then remove onto a plate.
- Turn stove down to medium low and add remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil.
- Soffrito: Add garlic and onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add the carrots and celery and sauté slowly for 5 minutes.
- Add remaining Ragu ingredients and return the beef to the pot (including pooled juices). Turn the stove up and bring it to a simmer, then turn it down to low so it’s bubbling very very gently. (Note 7)
- Slow cook: Cover the pot and let it cook for 2 hours or until beef is tender enough to shred. (Note 5 for slow cooker and pressure cooker).
- Shred: Remove beef then coarsely shred with 2 forks. Return beef to the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes until sauce is reduced and thickened – beef will soften slightly more during this step.
- Final season: Do a taste test and adjust the seasoning to your taste with salt and pepper. ALSO, add 1/2 tsp sugar if sauce is a bit sour for your taste (Note 6). Place the lid on and set aside until ready to serve (it’s even better the next day and freezes well for months!).
To Serve (Note 4):
- Bring a very large pot of water with 1 tbsp of salt to the boil.
- Add pasta and cook for 1 minute less than the recommended cooking time as per the packet instructions.
- Meanwhile, place 5 cups of the Ragu in a very large fry pan, dutch oven or use 2 normal size fry pans. Heat over high heat while the pasta is cooking.
- When the pasta is ready, transfer it directly from the pot into the fry pan using tongs.
- Add 3/4 cup of pasta water into the fry pan.
- Gently toss the pasta (I use 2 wooden spoons) for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce water evaporates and leaves you with a thick Ragu sauce that coats the pasta.
- Yell for your family to sit down at the dinner table because you need to serve it immediately!
- Serve with plenty of freshly grated parmesan, or even better, with parmigiano reggiano.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Today’s recipe is brought to you with thanks to San Remo. When they asked if I would consider showcasing one of their products in a recipe, it seemed meant-to-be because I wanted to republish this Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu and in fact, I had made the video using San Remo pappardelle pasta before they approached me! I figured it was a sign. ❤️ San Remo is Australia’s most well known pasta brand and is available at supermarkets all around Australia, including the pappardelle I recommend using for this recipe.
Life Of Dozer
Pappardelle pup. (Try saying that 10 times real fast after a few glasses of wine.)
I will never make bolognese with mince again – we are hooked FOREVER on this fabulous recipe.
Thank you.
It’s sooo good isn’t it Pamela?! I’m so happy you love it! N x
This sounds really good so I’m trying it today. The flavor as I put it on to simmer for two hours, is perfect! I always salt and pepper to my own taste, so I added more than in the recipe. I LOVE mushrooms…I really think this recipe SCREAMS for shrooms! So, about 1/2 hour before I serve it, I’m going to add quartered mushrooms, but I don’t want them to sap the sauce, so I’ll gently saute them first. Let you know how it goes!!
I have been eyeing this recipe for a while and I finally made it last night. I made it as written, which I usually do the first time I try a new recipe. At the end when the recipe says add additional seasonings, I just added a bit more salt. I am cooking just for myself, so I measured out one cup of sauce, cooked 2 ounces/58 grams of fettucini (I couldn’t find pappardelle), and did the emulsifying using 3 tablespoons of pasta water. It was good, but it needed something. After thinking about it, I thought maybe a little more black pepper or some red pepper flakes might be the ticket. I decided to try it again tonight and added a bit more black pepper and salt and I have to say the difference was amazing. Nagi is right when she says this ragu tastes better the next day. I now have eight more single serving containers of this yummy sauce in the freezer. I’m going to try to find pappardelle, or maybe make my own. Also, since there’s more than one cup of wine in a bottle, I had a nice glass of merlot along with the meal. Perfect.
Hello! I am very excited to try this recipe and I would like to make it in my instant pot but I am unclear on the instructions. I am going to use 1 cup of beef stock instead of the red wine. Do I still add the additional 1 1/2 cups of beef stock as well? I am using this 1 1/2 cups of beef stock because I don’t have beef bouillon cubes. Please advise 🙂 thank you so much!!
Nagi you’ve done it again! I go to work with my husband and have become the cook on site for 8 men. I was never a great cook, but with your recipes you would never know! Every dish is a pleaser! Thankyou for sharing them!
I made this for my husband and he said it was one of the best things that he has ever eaten! 😀 Thanks again Nagi, I love all your recipes.
Would this be good with lamb!?
I am going to try with lamb tonight. I’ve bought shank meat, we shall see how it goes!!!
Thankyou, like lots of your recipes. This one is a regular for us. Usually first night we have it with the pasta. Then the next night we will have it with mash potato. This is a real easy favourite of mine to make. My partner is a chef and loves a lot of your recipes. Its just hard deciding which ones to make.
Easy, hearty and just …yum!
I cannot find crushed tomatoes here in the UK-what alternative can I use instead of crushed tomatoes?
Hi Sarah, diced tomatoes or passata will work great! N x
Super, thanks, Nagi. Would chopped tomatoes be an alternative?
Also, is a cup of carrots the equivalent to approx 125 grams?
That’s me questioned out now 😉
I made this luscious Beef Ragu a few months ago. My hubby and I loved it so much! It was incredible to eat right after preparation! I am embarrassed and a little sad to say we didn’t have any leftovers, and it was only the two of us dining.
As with most ragu’s, stews, soups,
and pasta sauces, everything is usually even tastier a day later as the flavours have had time to mingle,lol… (love that! :-)) I will be making this wonderful Ragu again soon, and doubling the recipe…for the wonderful leftovers of course… and, because I could eat this pasta dish 24/7!
I made this luscious Beef Ragu a few months ago. My hubby and I loved it so much! It was incredible to eat right after preparation! I am embarrassed and a little sad to say we didn’t have any leftovers, and it was only the two of us dining.
As with most ragu’s, stews, soups,
and pasta sauces, everything is usually even tastier a day later as the flavours have had time to mingle,lol… (love that! :-)) I will be making this wonderful Ragu again soon, and doubling the recipe…for the wonderful leftovers of course… and, because I could eat this asta dish 24/7!
Love this recipe but always struggle to keep the stove top low enough, have tried it today in the oven, 2 hours at 160 so far and still not close…. another couple of hours I think? Any reason why this isn’t an oven recipe?
You are amazing! Another staple recipe to be added to our family dinners. Made this tonight & was a winner with the whole family. I did add a few rashes of bacon as I’ve eaten a ragu at an Italian restaurant which had bacon in it. Shared your recipe & my pictures to family & friends already. Thank you
Hi Nagi, love your recipes, can’t wait to make this one this weekend. I have cubed chuck beef. Do I need to adjust the cooking time?
Hi Agassi, did you end up cooking these cubes? How long did you cook for? My butcher cut mine into several chunky slices rather than 4 baseballs.
Hi Hasia, yes if the beef is smaller in size it will cook quicker – I’d just keep an eye on it – you can’t really go wrong, just cook until the beef is fall apart tender. N x
hi……. how much beef stock do I use instead of the bouillon cubes?
Hi Benjamin, 1 1/2 cups and omit the water. N x
Hi….. sorry, One more question, I only have regular (not dried) bay leaves, what ratio Do I use?
This sounds incredible. I have Pappardelle pasta just dying to be added to this ragu! If I am making this a day in advance of serving to guests, do I add the pasta or add it the day I’m serving?
YUM!!! Cook the pasta just before serving so it’s fresh 🙂 N x
Thank you for your reply. I’ll do what you suggest…can’t wait to treat my friends to this meal!!
really delicious! definitely a keeper
The meat/sauce are a 10/10. Incredible flavor. My family didn’t care for it combined with pasta as the recipe is written. It seemed to lose some of its rich flavor. I think next time I make it, I’ll ladle it over noodles and I won’t add any cooking water.
I cook this recipe all the time. It’s so great. I cook it to the point of adding the shredded beef back in, then freeze it in 2 person size portions (we’re a 2 person household). We’re trying to only eat red meat once a week, so this ends up being a once a month treat once it’s incorporated into the rest of the meal plan. But a real treat each time. Highly recommended.
I made this with short ribs.
I also used fresh homemade pasta, the pasta broke up during the emulsification process, it didn’t work out,