Short Rib Ragu

This delicious short rib ragu uses short ribs, carrots, onions, tomatoes, beef broth and red wine to make the most delicious sauce. Slowly stewed for 3 hours, it’s bound to be a hit at Sunday dinner!

I feel that a good pasta meat sauce (ragu) is a staple of every Italian household. Nonna makes it for Sunday lunch or dinner, and mom makes it when company is coming over or for a special occasion. It’s a classic.

What is a Ragu?

Quite simply, a ragu is an Italian meat-based tomato sauce. Everyone makes theirs differently, but there’s not one right way to make it.

It’s usually made with pancetta, celery, onions, and carrots, as well as beef broth and wine, in addition to the tomatoes.

Some people use pork in their ragu, some use beef. Different cuts of meat are also used. Some use ribs, some use sausage, or stew meat, some use ground meats (or any  combination of these). I’ve even heard of horse meat being used in a ragu. In this case, this recipe uses beef short ribs.

What is the difference between a Ragu and a Bolognese?

A Bolognese is a ragu, but a ragu is not necessarily a bolognese.

Confused? Don’t be! Bolognese is the ragu that is typical to Bologna, the Italian region of Italy. A Bolognese uses ground meat, and typically much less tomato than other ragus. Sometimes, canned tomatoes aren’t used in a bolognese, just tomato paste.

Type of Short Ribs to Use in this Ragu?

Short ribs typically are sold in 2 different ways – flanken or english-style. See this article that explains the two cuts of short ribs really well.

For this short rib ragu, I recommend using english-style short ribs over the flanken ribs. They are cut thicker, and more suitable to the long cooking time this sauce requires. The flanken short ribs are more suitable for grilling and barbecuing.

To Boil the Short Ribs First, Or Not?

There are some people that boil their ribs prior to using them in a ragu. This is to rid the ribs of some of their fat, as they are a fatty cut of meat.

In this recipe, I do not boil the ribs beforehand. The fat from the ribs makes the ragu rich, silky and delicious.

How to Make Short Rib Ragu – Step by Step

In a large pot on medium heat, heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Add pancetta and fry until pancetta is cooked and slightly crisp (photo 1) Remove from the pot and drain on a paper towel.

Season flour with salt and pepper, and dredge short ribs in flour. Add short ribs to the same pot that the pancetta was cooking in. Cook the short ribs on each side until browned, about 7 minutes total (photo 2) Remove from the pot.

At this point, deglaze the pot with 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of the red wine. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen up any bits that have stuck to the bottom. Add the remaining olive oil to the pot (photo 3)

Add the onion and carrot to the pot, let them cook down. When they are halfway cooked, add the garlic in. Season with salt and pepper (photo 4)

Once onion, carrot and garlic are cooked, add the crushed tomatoes to the pot. Add the ribs and pancetta back in, as well as the beef stock, remaining red wine, rosemary, bay leaf and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a boil (photo 5)

Reduce heat and simmer with the lid on for 1 hour 15 minutes (photo 6)

Then take the lid off and continue cooking the sauce for another 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (photo 7)

When the sauce is almost done, bring a large pot of water to boil. Throw in the pappardelle when the water is boiling, and add salt to the pasta water (photo 8)

Once pappardelle are cooked to al dente, drain, and add the sauce to the pappardelle. Leave the short ribs aside to use as a main dish. Alternatively, you can shred the short ribs up and mix them in with the pappardelle.

Top with grated parmesan cheese and enjoy! (photo 9)

Extra Tips for Making Beef Short Rib Ragu:

• Use english-style short ribs, as opposed to flanken ribs. They are cut thicker and more suitable for the longer cook time that this ragu requires.
• This recipe calls for red wine, and any type of full-bodied red wine will work. I used a Negroamaro from Puglia.
• Pappardelle is recommended to use in this pasta dish, but tagliatelle or fettuccine would work very well too.  However, if you want to use what you have on hand, even a short cut of pasta like rigatoni works too!
• There are a few options on serving this pasta:
  • Shred the short ribs once the sauce is done, and top the pasta with the shredded short ribs
  • Remove the short ribs from the sauce once it’s done cooking. Eat the pasta with the sauce first, then eat the short ribs separately as a main course.

Other Pasta Recipes You Might Like:

• Stuffed Shells with Butternut Squash, Ricotta and Spinach
• Penne with Lemony Ricotta, Zucchini and Arugula
• Easy Fettucine with Bacon, Peas, and Asparagus

If you’ve tried making this Short Rib Ragu, or any other recipe on the blog please let me know what you thought of it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’ve been up to.

4.29 from 14 votes

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Short Rib Ragu

This delicious short rib ragu uses short ribs, carrots, onions, tomatoes, beef broth and red wine to make the most delicious sauce. Slowly stewed for 3 hours, it's bound to be a hit at Sunday dinner!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 986 kcal

Author Pina Bresciani

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup chopped pancetta or bacon
• 1 kg beef short ribs
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup red wine
• ½ cup chopped white onion
• ½ cup chopped carrot
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 cans (796mL per can) peeled plum tomatoes, crushed with an immersion blender
• 3 cups beef broth
• ½ tbsp chopped rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 700 g pappardelle
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese to garnish

Instructions

1. In a large pot on medium heat, heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Add pancetta and fry until pancetta is cooked and slightly crisp. Remove from the pot and drain on a paper towel.

2. Season flour with salt and pepper, and dredge short ribs in flour. Add short ribs to the same pot that the pancetta was cooking in. Cook the short ribs on each side until browned, about 7 minutes total. Remove from the pot.

3. At this point, deglaze the pot with 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of the red wine. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen up any bits that have stuck to the bottom. Add the remaining olive oil to the pot.
4. Add the onion and carrot to the pot, let them cook down. When they are halfway cooked, add the garlic in. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Once onion, carrot and garlic are cooked, add the crushed tomatoes to the pot. Add the ribs and pancetta back in, as well as the beef stock, remaining red wine, rosemary, bay leaf and oregano. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer with the lid on for 1 hour 15 minutes. Then take the lid off and continue cooking the sauce for another 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7. When the sauce is almost done, bring a large pot of water to boil. Throw in the pappardelle when the water is boiling, and add salt to the pasta water.

8. Once pappardelle are cooked to al dente, drain, and add the sauce to the pappardelle. Leave the short ribs aside to use as a main dish. Alternatively, you can shred the short ribs up and mix them in with the pappardelle.

9. Top with parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

• Use english-style short ribs, as opposed to flanken ribs. They are cut thicker and more suitable for the longer cook time that this ragu requires.
• This recipe calls for red wine, and any type of full-bodied red wine will work. I used a Negroamaro from Puglia.
• Pappardelle is recommended to use in this pasta dish, but tagliatelle or fettuccine would work very well too.  However, if you want to use what you have on hand, even a short cut of pasta like rigatoni works too!
• There are a few options on serving this pasta:
  • Shred the short ribs once the sauce is done, and top the pasta with the shredded short ribs
  • Remove the short ribs from the sauce once it's done cooking. Eat the pasta with the sauce first, then eat the short ribs separately as a main course. 

Nutrition Facts

Short Rib Ragu

Amount Per Serving

Calories 986 Calories from Fat 315

% Daily Value*

Fat 35g54%

Saturated Fat 11g69%

Cholesterol 203mg68%

Sodium 839mg36%

Potassium 1196mg34%

Carbohydrates 98g33%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 55g110%

Vitamin A 2755IU55%

Vitamin C 3.1mg4%

Calcium 87mg9%

Iron 7.7mg43%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.