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Home Collections Sunday Supper

Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Pasta

By:Nagi
Published:3 Jul '17Updated:15 Feb '20
911 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

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!

Rich, slow cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Sauce with pappardelle pasta. Stunning Italian comfort food at its best. recipetineats.com

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. 🙂

Rich, slow cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Sauce with pappardelle pasta. Stunning Italian comfort food at its best. recipetineats.com

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. 🙂

Rich, slow cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Sauce with pappardelle pasta. Stunning Italian comfort food at its best. recipetineats.com

Rich, slow cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Sauce with pappardelle pasta. Stunning Italian comfort food at its best. recipetineats.com

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…..

Rich, slow cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Sauce with pappardelle pasta. Stunning Italian comfort food at its best. recipetineats.com

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

Rich, slow cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Sauce with pappardelle pasta. Stunning Italian comfort food at its best. recipetineats.com

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Sauce with Pappardelle recipe video!

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Rich, slow cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Sauce with pappardelle pasta. Stunning Italian comfort food at its best. recipetineats.com

Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Pasta

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 2 hrs 30 mins
Total: 2 hrs 50 mins
Pasta, Slow Cooked
Italian
4.99 from 224 votes
Servings5 - 6 people
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe video above. Ragu is one of those recipes that really showcases the beauty of Italian cooking - everyday ingredients, fast prep, leave it to cook long and slow and you end up with a luscious dish that tastes like a million bucks. This recipe makes enough sauce to serve 8 and freezes great.

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:

1. Beef - Cut the beef into 4 pieces that are around the size of a baseball. The cook time of this recipe assumes you do this. 
2. Celery and carrots sautéed with the onions and garlic is called "soffritto" in Italian cooking. It is a very traditional base for many Italian dishes. Cooking them slowly over low heat releases their flavour and adds an extra dimension to this dish. But it's not a deal killer if you skip these ingredients.
3. Beef stock - You could use liquid beef stock instead of water + stock cubes.
4. Pappardelle pasta is the thick wide pasta and is ideal for this recipe because the shreds of beef cling to the thick pasta strands. If you can't find it, just use the widest pasta you can find eg tagliatelle, fettuccine.
Don't skip the step of tossing pasta with the sauce! This is called "emulsifying" and it is a KEY secret to awesome pastas because it makes the sauce cling to the pasta. Italian Nonna's will roll over in their graves if you don't do this! I can't stress enough what a difference emulsifying makes to pastas!
5. Slow Cooker & Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot - follow recipe to the end of Step 4 on the stove (or sauté function on your appliance). Turn heat up to high, add wine, stir and simmer for 3 minutes. Then transfer it all to the slow cooker or pressure cooker/IP, and add all remaining ingredients but DO NOT add water and extra salt & pepper.
Slow cook on low for 6 - 8 hours (i.e. 6 is enough, 8 hrs is fine, any more = beef turns to mush). Or pressure cook on high for 40 minutes. Shred beef then follow recipe.
6. Sugar - The sweetness of canned tomatoes differs depending on brand (typically more expensive = sweeter). So adjust the sweetness of your sauce to your taste by using sugar - 1/2 tsp at a time.
7. Low and slow - Turn the heat of the stove down to a level where it is bubbling very, very gently - a few bubbles here and there. This usually LOW on Gas Stoves but might be medium low on electric stoves. If it is too high - i.e. simmering rapidly (lots of bubbles appearing rapidly) - then you run the risk of the bottom burning. If it is too low, it will take longer to cook.
8. Recipe source: This recipe is based on classic slow cooked ragu recipes from Italian greats including Lidia Bastianich, Stafano Manfredi. It is not an exact replica of any, but is similar to many!
9. Storage - sauce keeps for 5 days in the fridge, or months in the freezer. 
10. Beef Ragu nutrition assuming sauce serves 8. Nutrition includes 80g / 2.7oz dried pasta per serving (standard quantity). Note: recipe as written uses 500g/1 lb pack of pasta which will serve 5 - 6 people.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 678cal (34%)Carbohydrates: 69g (23%)Protein: 42g (84%)Fat: 26g (40%)Saturated Fat: 9g (56%)Cholesterol: 170mg (57%)Sodium: 1451mg (63%)Potassium: 1155mg (33%)Fiber: 5g (21%)Sugar: 8g (9%)Vitamin A: 3105IU (62%)Vitamin C: 13.2mg (16%)Calcium: 107mg (11%)Iron: 6.4mg (36%)
Keywords: Beef ragu, Ragu, Ragu Sauce, Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

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.)

Rich, slow cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Sauce with pappardelle pasta. Stunning Italian comfort food at its best. recipetineats.com

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911 Comments

  1. Benjamin Guez says

    January 21, 2021 at 1:36 am

    hi……. how much beef stock do I use instead of the bouillon cubes?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      January 21, 2021 at 4:45 pm

      Hi Benjamin, 1 1/2 cups and omit the water. N x

      Reply
      • Benjamin Guez says

        January 21, 2021 at 10:08 pm

        Hi….. sorry, One more question, I only have regular (not dried) bay leaves, what ratio Do I use?

        Reply
  2. Christina says

    January 19, 2021 at 7:49 am

    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?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      January 19, 2021 at 6:47 pm

      YUM!!! Cook the pasta just before serving so it’s fresh 🙂 N x

      Reply
      • Christina says

        January 20, 2021 at 4:30 am

        Thank you for your reply. I’ll do what you suggest…can’t wait to treat my friends to this meal!!

        Reply
  3. Guangye Cao says

    January 10, 2021 at 1:42 pm

    5 stars
    really delicious! definitely a keeper

    Reply
  4. Sara says

    January 8, 2021 at 10:48 am

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  5. Peter Gow says

    January 4, 2021 at 5:00 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  6. George Wilcox says

    January 4, 2021 at 1:27 pm

    5 stars
    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,

    Reply
  7. Sara Taylor says

    January 3, 2021 at 1:21 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! Always a family favourite.

    Reply
  8. Erin Rona says

    January 3, 2021 at 8:36 am

    5 stars
    My family’s favorite recipe!

    Reply
  9. Rebecca Salt says

    January 1, 2021 at 7:49 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious!! Another fabulous recipe from Nagi!

    Reply
  10. Jason says

    January 1, 2021 at 11:57 am

    5 stars
    Made this for our family’s New Year’s Eve dinner. It was delicious. I didn’t alter the recipe at all and there is no need too. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  11. Tobin Rooney says

    December 29, 2020 at 6:16 am

    5 stars
    I made this for Christmas Eve dinner and it was SO good! I followed it up with your Trifle recipe using Panettone and my family was super stuffed and happy!

    Reply
  12. Dan says

    December 20, 2020 at 1:44 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe. Reminds me of a good ragu I had in Tuscany.

    Reply
  13. Joy says

    December 16, 2020 at 10:06 am

    Hi Nagi, if pressure cooking, do I still add the stock cubes if omitting the water?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Dexie says

      December 23, 2020 at 3:51 am

      Yes. The meat flavor from the cube is needed but not the excess liquid. the bouillon cubes will disintegrate into the cooking liquid

      Reply
  14. KimH says

    December 13, 2020 at 2:22 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve made this several times and it is such a crowd pleaser! Love all of the details in the instructions too. I find it’s even better if you let it sit in the fridge for a day or 2 before reheating and serving. A definite staple in my recipe book!

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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