Short Rib Ragu Baked Rigatoni

Ingredients

• 2 yellow onions (small, cut into large chunks)
• 4 stalks celery (cut into large chunks)
• 3 carrots (cut into large chunks)
• canola oil (to lightly coat the bottom of the dutch oven)
• 8 short ribs (patted dry)
• salt (for seasoning and pasta water)
• 5 cloves garlic (minced)
• 0.75 cup tomato paste
• black pepper (to taste)
• 2 cups red wine (for deglazing)
• 2 cups beef stock
• 56 oz San Marzano tomatoes (2 28 oz cans whole tomatoes, crushed by hand)
• 3 sprigs rosemary
• 3 sage leaves
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 1 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar (for acidity)
• 1 lb rigatoni
• 1.5 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 cups mozzarella

Steps

1. 1

   Add the chunks of onions, celery, and carrots to a food processor. Pulse until the vegetables are finely chopped.

2. 2

   Heat a dutch oven over medium heat with enough canola oil to lightly coat the bottom.

3. 3

   Pat the short ribs dry and season them generously with salt.

4. 4

   Add the short ribs to the dutch oven in batches and brown on all sides. Once browned, remove from the dutch oven and set aside.

5. 5

   Add the chopped vegetables to the dutch oven and season with a large pinch of salt.

6. 6

   Cook the vegetables over medium heat for 5-8 minutes until they start to soften.

7. 7

   Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

8. 8

   Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper, then brown for an additional 5 minutes.

9. 9

   Deglaze the pan with red wine and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

10. 10

    Add the beef stock, crushed tomatoes, and the browned short ribs back to the dutch oven.

11. 11

    Tie the rosemary, sage, and thyme together with kitchen twine and add the bundle to the pot.

12. 12

    Cover and simmer for 3 hours.

13. 13

    Remove the herb bundle and the short ribs from the sauce. Shred the meat, discarding any bones or excess fat, and add the meat back to the sauce.

14. 14

    Stir in the grated parmesan cheese and red wine vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper as needed.

15. 15

    Boil 1 lb of rigatoni in salted water until just under al dente. Drain the pasta.

16. 16

    Stir the ragu and ricotta cheese into the cooked rigatoni.

17. 17

    Transfer the mixture to a baking dish (or two 8x8 pans) and top with mozzarella cheese.

18. 18

    If baking immediately: Bake at 350°F until the cheese is melted and bubbling. If freezing: Cover with plastic wrap and foil and freeze.

Notes

To reheat from frozen: Remove from the freezer the morning you want to serve and thaw in the fridge. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for about 1 hour and 15 minutes until heated through. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes until cheese is bubbling. Broil for 3-5 minutes to brown the cheese if desired.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• dinner
• pasta
• freezer-friendly
• meal-prep
• slow-cooked
• beef