Shredded beef ragù pasta
This is comfort food at its best. This rich, slow-cooked ragù uses farm shop-quality diced braising steak for a deliciously tender alternative to mince. It’s perfect for sneaking in a few extra vegetables too. Serve with a chunky pasta shape to catch every last shred of beef and spoonful of sauce.
Preparation: 15 mins
Cooking: 4 hrs
Serves: 6
Difficulty: easy
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 200g onion, finely chopped
- 8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 150g celeriac, cut into small cubes
- 120g carrots, cut into small cubes
- 800g braising steak, diced
- 2 mushroom stock cubes,
dissolved in 600 ml water - 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 x 400g tin of finely chopped tomatoes
- 500g dried chunky pasta,
such as fiorelli or pappardelle - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
Recipe
- Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook for 2–3 minutes, until softened and translucent. Include the garlic, celeriac and carrots, then cook for another couple of minutes, stirring regularly.
- Tip in the braising steak and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over.
- Pour in the mushroom stock, making sure the beef and vegetables are covered.
- Reduce the heat to its lowest setting, cover the pan and leave to simmer gently for 3 hours.
- Stir in the oregano, thyme and chopped tomatoes, then remove the lid and simmer for a further hour. By now, the sauce should be rich and concentrated, and the beef so tender that it readily falls apart into soft shreds.
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain, add it to the beef ragù and stir well until everything is evenly combined.
Serve immediately, with a lavish amount of freshly grated Parmesan over the top. Nothing else required – apart from perhaps a generously filled bowl.
More irresistible beef pasta dishes to try: