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.)
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’ve made this twice now on the stovetop, so amazing! Also love that it provides a second meal for the freezer, it freezes wonderfully and makes for a quick weeknight meal.
This was the very first recipe of yours that I tried and was THRILLED!!! You write your recipes as people reading them will cook them. Absolutely delicious and I am OBSESSED with your cookbook. Thank you for being a TRUE home cook. You are now my go to…. Thank you 🙏
OMFG….made it all day on the stovetop….I’m dyin’ here!😍
I’ve made this twice now, stove top version. It’s very delicious, however my cooking time to get the meat shredable has been 2 to 3 times the stated 2 hours. I don’t mind the extra time because I’m making it for the next days dinner, just sharing my experience.
Hi what do you recommend if I have a brisket already fully cooked? Still simmer for 2 hours?
Has anyone tried this recipe but using lamb instead of beef?
Oh dear, this recipe has ruined spag bol for my kids 😅 Now they only want to eat shredded meat, not mince. Lucky it’s pretty simple to prepare! I agree with a reviewer below that asking the butcher for a 1.2 kg chuck roast gives better meat strips than chuck steak. I add in mum’s spag bol flavours (oregano and clove), and slow cook in the oven.
What great Ragu recipe. So simple and true to what a Ragu should be. I’ve made it a couple of times now for dinner parties. Like the previous review, I also add more garlic and some chilli flakes. I add the garlic after I’ve fried up the soffritto. I used more tomato past and red wine and less water: 2 cups good quality full bodied wine and 1/2 cup water. I also added some dill just to add a point of difference and I think it goes well in this dish even if it does seem a little left field. Really, really tasty dish.
This recipe looked really good, but sadly did not deliver. Followed the recipe to the letter, but the beef did not shred at all. Wasn’t necessarily tough, but definitely not falling apart (slow cooked on low for 6 hours). I also think this has WAY too much wine, to the point where that’s the main flavor of the sauce. I’d reduce that by 1/4-1/2 cup and replace it with broth.
I did a grocery pickup and they gave me a small (2.5 pound) chuck roast. It was the perfect size for this recipe. The family loved it and the dogs whined all afternoon while it cooked. Another winner Nagi! Thank you so much!
After touring 18 days thru Italy – we just had to make this & I’m saying OMG … I normally do my own thing but I followed your instructions! Only adding a bit of dried fennel seeds – we love them! Thank you & we will be making over & over again!
Made this yesterday, exactly as written – DELICIOUS. the best direction for me was “AGGRESSIVELY SEAR” the chunks of beef. that makes ALL the difference. i added more cloves of garlic and some shakes of crushed red pepper flake — but that’s just me. THIS recipe is the BOMB.
This is first dish I cooked in my new 16 in 1 cooker and my, what a dish!
Absolutely gorgeous and delicious. Will cook again and again!
Nagi. I have this simmering on the stove as I type. Just got around to watching the video. It looks like more than 3 table spoons of tomato paste going into that sauce. Just an illusion?
I just made this and I’d say it needs more than 3 tablespoons of the tomato paste. Maybe another one or two.
The sauce is so delicious and flavourful. All the family enjoyed this dish.
Brilliant, thank you Nagi. Can’t wait for my cookbook to arrive!
I was following the recipe for making in the slow cooker and mistakenly added the water. What will this mean for the end result?
I just did the same.
Have I wrecked it?