How to make Slow Cooked Beef Ragu Pasta Recipe
Can you possibly imagine a sauce more tantalizing than traditional, hearty Bolognese? Well, let me introduce you to Slow Cooked Beef Ragu Pasta, a recipe that promises to melt in your mouth and leave you craving more. This dish isn’t just food, it’s a culinary journey that starts with the simplest of ingredients and transforms them into something truly magnificent.
While I’m a fan of quick meals during the week for their convenience, I must admit it’s the slow-cooked dishes that truly capture my heart. These recipes allow us to explore the depths of taste that can only truly develop well with time…slow and steady. Join me in the kitchen as we perfect this hearty beef ragu paired perfectly with Pasta Liguori Fettuce.
Watch how to make the Slow Cooked Beef Ragu Pasta Recipe
This Slow Cooked Beef Ragu Pasta Recipe is Better then Nonna Bolognese Sauce
Vincenzo’s plate tips
Firm Up Your Pasta Game
Always follow the cooking instructions on the pasta packet to avoid pasta that’s too soft. Aim for al dente to ensure each bite is just right and if you’re unsure, take one out just before cooking time is up to be certain it’s cooked to perfection
Evaporate to Elevate
In the final 30 minutes of preparing your Slow Cooked Beef Ragu Pasta, cook the sauce without the lid. This allows excess water to evaporate, intensifying the flavor of the sauce. Before finishing, taste the sauce to ensure it has a perfectly balanced flavor.
Go easy on the salt!
If you are using pre-made vegetable stock, this often contains salt so adding too much extra can shift your dish from sublime to overly salty. It’s all about balance so taste it and add a small amount as you go only if necessary.
Got extra sauce? No problem!
Store leftover sauce in a container (or a few!) and freeze it for up to 3 months or keep it in the fridge for 4-5 days. It’s just as delightful the second time around and perfect for when you crave comfort food but don’t have the time to make it during the week – or for when surprise guests drop in! If you end up with a lot of sauce, feel free to cook more pasta for a larger group or just save the extra sauce for another meal. It’s ideal for a quick dinner fix whether you’re feeding two or ten!
How to Serve Slow Cooked Beef Ragu Pasta
Once the Beef Ragu sauce is ready and the pasta completely lathered in it, , use tongs to gently twirl it before placing a portion delicately on each plate. Avoid the common mistake of plating plain pasta topped with sauce. NEVER DO THIS! Instead, ensure each strand is generously coated with your rich ragu before it even hits the plate. Drizzle extra sauce over the top and sprinkle with finely grated Pecorino cheese for an irresistible finish.
Slow Cooked Beef Ragu Pasta
Print Recipe
Equipment
- Casserole dish or dutch oven
- wooden spoon
- Large-sized pot
- Frying pan
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 250 g /8.8oz Liguori Fettucce Pasta
- 800 g /28oz beef chuck steak
- 1 carrot, diced
- ½ onion, diced
- 1 celery stalk with leaves, diced
- 1 rosemary stalk
- A handful of bay leaves
- A handful of fresh basil
- 1 bottle tomato passata
- 1 L /4.2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 small-sized glass of red wine
- 3 Tbsp plain flour
- Extra virgin olive oil, EVOO
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
To Make The Sauce:
- Cut the beef into cubes, then heat a casserole or Dutch oven with 4-5 tablespoons of EVOO over medium heat.
- Add carrots, onions, and celery with a splash of water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until tender.
- Mix in some rosemary leaves and stir until the vegetables become mushy, then add the beef cubes and brown each side.
- Sprinkle flour over the beef, then move them around using a wooden spoon. This will help form a creamy sauce base. When you can see the meat is softening, add the red wine and continue stirring.
- Once the wine has evaporated, add a little bit of stock to keep it moist, then pour in a bottle of passata and cook for another 2 minutes while stirring.
- Once the sauce starts to dry up, add half a liter of stock. Add the bay leaves, celery leaves, and the rest of the rosemary before seasoning with salt and pepper, then stir.
- Cover and simmer for 4 hours, stirring every half hour and adding more stock if it dries out; in the last 30 minutes, remove the celery leaves, bay leaves, and rosemary branch. Continue to cook without the lid to help thicken the sauce.
- Turn off the stove, stir in fresh basil (optional), and cover the sauce again while you prepare the pasta.
To Make The Pasta:
- Begin by filling a large pot with water, bring it to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt and allow it to dissolve.
- Add the Fettucce Pasta and cook for 8 minutes for al dente or 9 minutes for softer pasta. (Check your pasta packet for correct times depending on the brand you buy) Stir occasionally.
- Reserve a mug of pasta water – this is liquid gold and will help make your sauce even creamier!
Finishing Touches
- Heat a small amount of EVOO on the frying pan.
- Add three ladles of the ragu sauce to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon to warm through.
- Next, transfer the drained pasta into the pan, mix thoroughly with tongs. If the mixture seems too dry, add two more ladles of ragu sauce to achieve the desired consistency.
- Finally, add in a splash of reserved pasta water and toss really well to fully incorporate the sauce,add more if necessary.
- Drizzle one more ladle of ragu sauce over the pasta for an extra rich finish. Serve immediately.
Video
E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate….Enjoy!
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