Recipe: Beef Ragu with Papardelle Pasta
Cooked by Bernhard Kohlhuber, owner of Fritz Pasta and former Head Chef at Gabbinbar Homestead, everything about this simple & classic Beef Ragu with Pappardelle pasta screams comfort food.
Photography: Castle & Crown
Cooked by Bernhard Kohlhuber, owner of Fritz Pasta and former Head Chef at Gabbinbar Homestead, everything about this simple & classic Beef Ragu with Pappardelle pasta screams comfort food.
INGREDIENTS
1.2kg chuck beef or other slow cooking
beef, cut into equal 4 pieces
1 tbsp salt
Black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic , minced
1 onion , diced
1 cup carrots , diced
1 cup celery , diced
800g crushed canned tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 beef stock cubes , crumbled
1 cup red wine , full bodied (like merlot,
cabernet sauvignon), or sub with beef
broth/stock
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 tsp dried thyme or 3 sprigs fresh
thyme
3 bay leaves
METHOD - Ragu
Pat dry the beef and season with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over high heat in a heavy based pot. Add beef and sear each
piece on all sides, until each is very browned, then remove and keep to side.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add the remaining olive oil.
Add the garlic and onion and sauté for 2 minutes before adding the carrots and celery and sauté slowly for an additional 5 minutes.
Add each remaining Ragu ingredient and return the beef to the pot, including its juices.
Bring it to a simmer, before reducing to low and until bubbling gently.
Cover the pot and cook for aprrox. 2 hours or until the beef is tender enough to shred.
Remove the beef then coarsely shred with 2 forks. Return the beef to the pot and simmer
for 30 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, adding a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity.
METHOD - Pasta
Bring large pot of water with 2-3 tbs of salt to the boil (5L per 500g of pasta).
Loosen the pasta slightly before adding to the boiling water. Stir gently on occasion.
Once cooked (as per your liking and recommended cooking times: Mafalda (curly thick pasta) 10 - 12 min, Pappardelle 8 - 10 min, Fettucine 4 - 5 min.), strain and drizzle with olive oil or add straight to the sauce. Do not rinse with cold water.
Gently toss pasta, while still over heat, until it is coated evenly with ragu sauce. Reduce as needed.
Serve immidiately, with plenty of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano.
