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.)
Help!!!!!! I went to the butcher for the chuck beef for this and he convinced me that chuck is rib steak here in Ireland. Then his colleague who is normally knowledgeable came over & said the same, joined by another butcher. So I bought it – 1.25 kgs for €15 ($25 AUS). I thought someone mentioned it was to be made with cheap cuts and cooked low & slow. He cut it like I asked so in big baseball sized chunks. Should I still use it or amend the recipe somehow? 🙁 Any help very soon would be very much appreciated!!! thank you all!!
Chuck steak is the muscle that is connected to the sub-primal rib eye. Chuck is also known as bolar which is also a sub-primal (whole cut used for pot roasting or slow cooking). The rib eye or rib streak is a premium cut suitable for grilling or pan frying. Next time ask for a piece of bolar and portion it into pieces yourself.
Yes for us in Australia rib steak is a good cut of steak not a slow cook cheaper cut. So it potentially will go dry and tough. Maybe look up a recipe for rib steak to make with it instead
Thanks for the reply,Sarah. I actually made it last week – 3 hours stove top method and kept a close eye. OMG!!!! this is one of Nagi’s best! As suspected, I bought way too much meat (got 10 good portions out of it) but it’s there now in the freezer and we can’t wait to have it again.
@Nagi – another mind blowing dish – thank you so much!!
This recipe is amazing! It has become one of our family favourites! I always slow cook this for about 7hrs.
Fabulous recipe. I’ve never attempted anything like this before. Definitely making it again.
Our all time favorite ragu! I add fennel to the soffrito and include rehydrated porcini, including the liquid. This time I also added some nduja for a little extra kick! sensational!
I love it
I tried to sign up to your website and get the free cookbooks but it won’t let me.
My all time favourite ragu! I double the recipe and freeze half. I add a sprinkling of sugar (2tbs for double recipe) and a decent 2tbs of chilli flakes as we love spicy beef. Freezes well and defrosts perfectly. Easy and tasty ❤️❤️
Third time I’ve made this and it is PERFECTION! Always do it in a slow cooker, for around 7hrs. A good-quality pappardelle is an amazing accompaniment, but I’ve also done it with polenta. 10/10
i really like how inexpensive this dish is. i have a chuck roast i’ll use in my freezer, i’m trying to make what little money i have left last until payday, picking up some celery, onions, and canned tomato variations is very very affordable for me. trying to make under 20 last all week when you have a husband who works a physically demanding job and 4 small boys to feed is stressful, but this recipe right here makes me feel like we’ll be ok. by the grace of god, he always finds a way. looking forward to making this, i’ll leave my honest review on wednesday! also cant afford the pasta most likely, but i have some frozen tortellini that my husband loves so i’m looking forward to this. god bless, nagi!
This recipe is so delicious! I’ve cooked ragu several times and this time tried with the special pasta prep and it’s so worth it!! 😍😍
Hi Nagi
There are millions of single people in the world. I would love some single serve recipes.
Often using less ingredients just doesn’t work. Cheers
If using slow cooker, I see it says omit water, but do we still add the bullion cubes?
I used Campbell Beef Stock instead of 2 beef bouillon cubes ,& water
Also replaced 800g / 28oz crushed canned tomatoes with fresh tomatoes. Personally I avoid using canned tomatoes.
I used Rigatoni for Pasta.
The pot i used is Le Cruset castor iron pot.
It came out so so delicious and this is the best beef Ragu dish I have ever made. Thanks Nagi for the recipe
This recipe is a winner! Thank you Nagi for another fabulous recipe to add to the family faves!
This woman is amazing!!!! Every time I make one of her recipes it is just wonderful. Martin
THIS PASTA IS AMAZING. I made it for a big family dinner. Doubled the recipe for 10 people. My sister woke up the next day thinking about it! And I ate the leftovers for breakfast! It 10/10 perfect.
This looks great! I want to make this for my gf for Vday but I don’t have that pan you cooked the beef in. Does it still cook the same in a large deep non stick pan?
Yes I make it all the time in a big deep Sautee pan/fry pan
Hi! I can’t wait to try this with the slow cooker. Do we add the pooled juices if using a slow cooker?
Yes it will cook and add some of that deep flavor you want
Great recipe and full of flavour
Just so delicious. Made it with lasagne sheets because I couldn’t find papardelle. Told everyone it was deconstructed lasagne. They didn’t even notice the bechamel was missing. Thanks, Nagi!
I couldn’t get pappardelle either so I par boiled lasagne sheets and cut them into pappardelle, then cooked them, delicious!