This Short Rib Ragu recipe has tender short ribs cooked in a homemade sauce and served on pappardelle pasta. It's hearty, flavorful, and the perfect dish for guests or picky kids!
Looking for more beef recipes? Try Thai Basil Beef, Hamburger Gravy, Birria Ramen, or Beef Gyros!
Why I love this recipe:
- Flavorful – The homemade broth makes the short ribs flavorful and perfectly tender.
- Hearty – Packed with protein, this meal is hearty and so satisfying at the end of a busy day.
- Family Favorite – Adults and even the pickiest kids love this short rib ragu with pappardelle. Can also be made in a slow cooker or instant pot! See note below.
How to make Short Rib Ragu:
Sear Beef: Season short ribs all over with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Sear the short ribs, rotating every minute or so, until browned and seared on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside.
Sauté Soffrito: Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add red wine to deglaze the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Simmer: Add beef broth, boullion, tomatoes (crush them with your hands or a potato masher), tomato paste, cheese rind, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, bay leaves and crushed red pepper. Nestle short ribs on top and top with fresh thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover pot and simmer for 2 hours.
Shred Meat: Remove bay leaves, thyme sprigs and cheese rind. Remove short ribs and shred meat (discard bones).
Simmer Again: Return meat to the pot and continue to simmer for 30 minutes, to reduce some of the sauce. (If you like the sauce to be a thicker gravy consistency, scoop some into a cup and mix with ½ teaspoon cornstarch, then return to pot).
Cook Pasta: Boil noodles according to package instructions in salted water. Once pasta is just shy of al dente, use tongs to remove it from the hot pasta water and add it to the ragu sauce. Toss to combine and cook for 5 more minutes.
Serve: Spoon ragu and noodles into shallow bowls and garnish with fresh shredded parmesan cheese, for serving. (Or, if you’re feeling fancy top each bowl with a pinch of fresh burrata, sprinkle of flake sea salt and fresh chopped basil.)
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
To Freeze: Place leftover sauce, without the pasta, in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw completely, then rewarm in a pot and add hot pasta. This is seriously the best short rib ragu recipe!
Recipe Variations:
- Short Ribs: Could also use boneless ribs or beef chuck roast. For more traditional ragu, use 1 lb ground beef and 1 lb ground pork.
- Noodles: This could also be served over small ribbed pasta like fusilli or cavatappi, cooked polenta, zoodles or spaghetti squash.
- Slow Cooker: Sear meat and sauté veggies as instructed. Add beef broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, cheese rind, salt, thyme, oregano, basil, and bay leaves. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. Remove meat (discard bones and bay leaf) and shred meat. Return to pot. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Once pasta is almost al dente, use tongs to remove it from the hot pasta water and add it to the ragu sauce. Toss to combine. Add a splash of the hot pasta water and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Instant Pot: Using the sauté setting, brown the short ribs on all sides. Add beef broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, cheese rind, salt, thyme, oregano, basil, and bay leaves. Close lid and set on manual for 35 minutes. Allow at least a 15 minute natural pressure release. Remove the meat (discard bones and bay leaf) and shred then return to pot. Cook pasta according to package instructions until almost al dente, then use tongs to transfer noodles to the ragu sauce. Toss to combine then simmer for a couple more minutes on sauté setting. Serve.
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Recipe
Short Rib Ragu
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs bone-in beef short ribs*
- Salt and pepper
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion , finely diced
- 1 large carrots , finely diced
- 1 celery rib , finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/2 cup dry red wine (chianti, cabernet sauvignon, merlot)
- 1 3/4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 teaspoons beef bouillon paste
- 28 oz can peeled whole tomatoes , (San Marzano recommended)
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 parmesan cheese rind , (optional)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt , or more, to taste
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes , optional
- 1 lb pappardelle or tagliatelle pasta*
Instructions
- Sear Beef: Season short ribs all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Sear the short ribs, rotating every minute or so, until browned and seared on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Sauté Soffrito: Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add red wine to deglaze the pan and cook for 3 minutes, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add beef broth, boullion, tomatoes (crush them with your hands or a potato masher), tomato paste, cheese rind, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, bay leaves and crushed red pepper. Nestle short ribs on top and top with fresh thyme sprigs.
- Simmer: Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover pot and simmer for 2 hours.
- Shred Meat: Remove bay leaves, thyme sticks and cheese rind. Remove short ribs and shred meat (discard bones).
- Simmer Again: Return meat to the pot and continue to simmer for 30 minutes, to reduce some of the sauce. (If you like the sauce to be a thicker gravy consistency, scoop some into a cup and mix with ½ teaspoon cornstarch, then return to pot).
- Cook pasta according to package instructions in salted water. Once pasta is almost al dente, use tongs to remove it from the hot pasta water and add it to the ragu sauce. Toss to combine and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Serve: Spoon ragu and noodles into shallow bowls and garnish with fresh shredded parmesan cheese, for serving. (Or, if you’re feeling fancy top each bowl with a pinch of fresh burrata, sprinkle of flake sea salt and fresh chopped basil.)
Notes
Nutrition
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This was unreal! Seared the meat and threw everything in crock pot low for 6-7 hours, then last hour and a bit lid off on high to thicken it. We also added diced mushrooms. We used a moose roast that I harvested. So good, the kids devoured it and my husband had 3 helpings. We loved it – gourmet restaurant quality dish! So good thank you.
I made this last night and it was very flavorful. I was afraid the meat would be tough but it fell off the bone.
Great taste and recipe over all.
I did the Instapot version so I know I cant be too picky but I wish the directions were a little more clear for that. It doesn’t say anything about doing the veggies or the bouillon for instantpot. And mine was super liquidy so I had to dump it in a sauce pan to evaporate some of the liquid. next time ill do less liquid than the recipe. But the taste was great and meat was tender.
Love this smell and flavor of this! Only question/critique I have is somehow my short ribs were way over done after about 1:50 simmering.
I used a Dutch oven and followed the instructions with 2.2 LBs of bone-in short ribs.
Not sure where this went wrong, still turned out okay but really had to work to shred the meat. Will definitely try again because the smell and flavors were so good.
I’m not the person who wrote this recipe, but if you found it difficult to shred, then you most likely need to cook it longer! 💜
If I don’t have a dutch oven what else do you suggest?
Thanks
Any large pot with a heavy bottom.