Beef Ragout with Pappardelle

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg Beef shank or beef shin (cut into pieces)
• 4.5 tbsp Olive oil (for browning and the vegetables; use in batches if necessary)
• 2 Onions (finely chopped)
• 3 Carrots (finely chopped)
• 4 Stangen Celery stalks (finely chopped)
• 4 Zehen Garlic (sliced)
• 3 tbsp Tomato purée
• 400 ml Red wine
• 2 Zweige Rosemary
• 2 Bay leaves
• 2 Dosen à 400 g Canned chopped tomatoes
• 500 ml Beef stock or beef broth
• Salt (to taste, plus a pinch for the vegetables)
• Pappardelle (for serving; for 6–8 people, according to the package instructions or approximately 500 g dried)
• Parmesan (grated, for stirring through and sprinkling; to taste)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 160 °C conventional, 140 °C fan, or gas mark 3. Season the beef generously with salt all over.

2. 2

   Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a flameproof casserole over medium-high to high heat. Brown the beef in batches for about 15 minutes, using an additional 1 tbsp oil for each batch if needed. The pieces should be darkly browned all over.

3. 3

   Transfer the browned meat to a colander and leave it to drain while browning the remaining batches, allowing excess fat to run off.

4. 4

   Wipe out the casserole with kitchen paper. Add about 2 tbsp olive oil, then add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic along with a pinch of salt.

5. 5

   Cook the vegetables over low to medium heat for 8–10 minutes, until softened but not heavily browned.

6. 6

   Stir in the tomato purée and cook for a further 3 minutes, until it darkens and becomes fragrant.

7. 7

   Add the red wine, rosemary sprigs, bay leaves, canned tomatoes, and beef stock to the pot. Season with salt and bring everything to a boil.

8. 8

   Return the browned beef to the sauce. Reduce the heat and leave the sauce to simmer gently.

9. 9

   Cover the pot and braise in the preheated oven for 2 hours 30 minutes.

10. 10

    Remove the lid, stir the ragout, and cook uncovered in the oven for a further 30 minutes so that the sauce thickens slightly.

11. 11

    Roughly shred the meat with a fork or break it apart directly in the pot. Taste the ragout and add more salt if needed. It can be served immediately or cooled and refrigerated until serving; it usually tastes even better after a night.

12. 12

    To serve, gently reheat the chilled ragout over medium heat.

13. 13

    Cook the pappardelle in a large pot of plenty of salted water for 3 minutes, until just tender.

14. 14

    Drain the pasta and add it to the ragout. Add some of the grated Parmesan, gently toss everything together, and leave to rest for 1 minute.

15. 15

    Divide the pasta among bowls, sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan, and serve immediately.

Notes

The ragout can be prepared the day before and refrigerated overnight. Freeze any leftover ragout in individual portions; thaw and reheat before serving with fresh pasta. It is also suitable as a lasagne filling or as a sauce for mashed potatoes or baked potatoes. According to the source, the recipe is freezable, egg-free, and nut-free.

Nutrition per serving

• Main course
• Braised dish
• Beef
• Pasta
• Italian-inspired
• For guests
• Freezable
• Egg-free