Braised Beef Ragu – tender, shredded braised beef in a rich tomato herb sauce. The perfect cozy, slow cooked meal with pappardelle and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Braised Beef Ragu is Sunday supper cozy, with layers of rich flavor and absolutely irresistible.
It preps in minutes then slow cooks in the oven while mouth-watering aromas take over your house. It’s a great weekend recipe, ideal for the upcoming holidays and a show-stopping meal for entertaining all winter.
What is Beef Ragu?
Braised Beef Ragu is an Italian slow cooking tomato meat sauce served with pasta and topped with parmesan cheese.
There is usually a sofrito base (carrots, celery, onions) and the braised cooking method produces fork-tender meat and a deep rich savory sauce.
What’s in Braised Beef Ragu?
- beef chuck roast
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- butter
- onion
- celery
- carrot
- garlic
- fresh herbs: rosemary, sage and parsley
- dry red wine
- crushed tomatoes
- tomato paste
- beef stock
For serving:
- pappardelle pasta
- fresh parmesan cheese
How to make Braised Beef Ragu:
Cut the beef into 4 approximately equal pieces.
Trim any excess fat from the meat then pat it dry with paper towels then generously season the beef on all sides with salt and pepper (I use about a tablespoon of salt to cover all the pieces).
Add the olive oil and a tablespoon of butter to a Dutch oven or large, oven-safe pot over medium high heat.
Place the beef into the pot searing on each side then remove from the pot and set aside.
TIP: the beef will release when searing is done on that side. If it doesn’t lift, don’t force it. – just wait a few seconds and try again.
Reduce to medium low heat then add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, rosemary and sage.
Sauté 2-3 minutes stirring so the garlic doesn’t burn, then add the the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes.
Pour in the wine scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pot then simmer 2-3 minutes over medium to medium-low heat letting the wine reduce.
Add crushed tomatoes and beef stock, stirring to combine then return the beef and all their juices to pot, turning each piece over in the sauce.
Cover and bake the ragu at 325° for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. After 1 hour, give it a good stir.
Check for doneness after 2 hours. The meat is done cooking when it shreds easily with a fork (but before it’s mushy).
How to finish the ragu:
Remove the pot from the oven then take out the beef, carrots, celery and herbs, discarding the vegetables and herbs.
If you like a thicker sauce, simmer over medium to medium-low heat uncovered for 10-15 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust for salt and pepper.
NOTE: because some canned tomatoes aren’t as sweet as others you may need to add 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, combining well.
Using two forks shred the beef leaving some of it in larger pieces then add it to the sauce along with the remaining butter and parsley. Stir until combined.
Cook pappardelle according to package directions reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water.
Blend a splash of the pasta water into the sauce then add the pasta gently turning to coat. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of parsley.
What to serve with Beef Ragu:
Some nice crusty bread is really all I need with this Beef Ragu. Below are a couple of other ideas:
Antipasto Salad with crispy chickpeas
Why this recipe works:
- The chuck roast makes it a budget-friendly recipe.
- It easily feeds a crowd.
- Preps quickly then hands off for much of the cooking process.
- It can be made a day ahead of time.
- Leftovers freeze well.
More popular pasta recipes:
20 Minute Sausage Tortellini – just one pot + 20 minutes from start to finish – Italian sausage, tortellini, tomato and spinach in a creamy tomato sauce.
Pasta Alla Vodka – pasta tossed in a homemade tomato-cream-vodka sauce topped with crispy pancetta and parmesan cheese.
Pumpkin Pasta Alla Vodka – creamy, silky pumpkin cream sauce with pasta topped with crispy prosciutto and brown butter sage leaves.
Basil Pesto Pasta – just 4 ingredients and 20 minutes to this herby Basil Pesto Pasta with sun dried tomatoes.
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Braised Beef Ragu
Equipment
- dutch oven or large pot with lid
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pound beef chuck roast
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 stalk celery cut in thirds
- 1 large carrot cut in thirds
- 3 cloves garlic grated
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3-4 whole sage leaves
- 1 cup dry red wine such as chianti or cabernet
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup beef stock
- ¼ cup Italian parsley diced
- 1 pound pappardelle pasta
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cut the beef into 4 approximately equal pieces. Trim any excess fat then pat it dry with paper towels. Generously season the beef on all sides with salt and pepper (I use about a tablespoon of salt to cover all the pieces).
- Add the olive oil and a tablespoon of butter to a Dutch oven or large, oven-safe pot over medium high heat. Place the beef into the pot searing on each side then remove from the pot and set aside.TIP: the beef will release when searing is done on that side. If it doesn’t lift, don’t force it. – just wait a few seconds and try again.
- Reduce to medium low heat then add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, rosemary and sage.
- Sauté 2-3 minutes stirring so the garlic doesn’t burn, then add the the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes.
- Pour in the wine scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pot then simmer 2-3 minutes over medium to medium-low heat letting the wine reduce.
- Add crushed tomatoes and beef stock, stirring to combine then return the beef and their juices to pot, turning each piece over in the sauce.
- Cover and bake 325° for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. After 1 hour, give it a good stir.
- Check for doneness after 2 hours. The meat is done cooking when it shreds easily with a fork (but before it’s mushy).
- Remove the pot from the oven. Transfer the beef to a plate and discard the carrots, celery and herbs. If you like a thicker sauce, simmer over medium to medium-low heat uncovered for 10-15 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust for salt and pepper.
- Using two forks shred the beef leaving some of it in larger pieces then add it to the sauce along with the remaining butter and parsley. Stir gently until combined
- Cook pappardelle according to package directions reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water.
- Blend a splash of the pasta water into the sauce then add the pasta gently turning to coat. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of parsley.
- NOTE: because some canned tomatoes aren’t as sweet as others you may need to add 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of brown sugar to the sauce, combining well.
Happy 2018!! Goodness gracious, this sounds so darn delicious. Just reading this post makes my tummy feel good. I can almost smell the roast cooking and getting all scrumptious. Pinned. Making soon. Chat later my friend. Have a good week.
Hi there Mary ~ Happy 2018 to you too! It sure is a comfort meal! Thank you for your kind words and for taking the time to write them. Have a good week, friend. More later 🙂
Absolutely delicious! Kids hated the parsley, hubby and I couldn’t stop eating :)!
Hi Cristi –
This makes my day! This is one of my favorite recipes – I’m actually excited for cooler temps so I can make it again soon — and I totally get that you couldn’t stop eating it ~ we’re the same. Thanks for taking the time to write. Enjoy the day – Bernie
I have been looking for a recipe like this ever since my grandma passed away, that she got from an old Italian man , Pappy Joe! But she used salt pork in it somehow. And these big flat rigatoni noodles. I’m going to try to recreate it, and this sounds like an excellent beginning! Ty!
Thank you Terri! I hope this recipe is a good jumping point for your grandma’s (and Pappy Joe’s!) recipe. I see any recipe as a place to start and make it your own. I’d love to hear how your Beef Ragu turned out and whether it brought back memories of your grandma’s. 🙂
How much dried Rosemary and Sage should be used?
Hi Jodie – you’ll want to use a couple of sprigs each of Rosemary and Sage. – Bernie
Thank you Bernie, but I meant how much dried Sage and dried Rosemary? Not the fresh herbs. How many teaspoons or tablespoons of the dried?
Gotcha 🙂 – dried herbs have a deeper, stronger flavor than fresh herbs. So first, you’ll want to make sure the dried herbs are ‘fresh’ – meaning they’re within their shelf life (I say this because I have some in the back of my pantry that I haven’t used and should probably throw out). Anyway, I’d recommend 1 TEASPOON of EACH – rosemary and sage. Also – I liked to rub dry herbs between my thumb and first finger as I’m sprinkling them into the pot. That’ll help wake them up. Enjoy the day – and the recipe – Bernie
Just made this, the house smells amazing and my dog was going crazy! It tasted as good too even with the egg noodles😏. Great recipe!
Hey Christa – thanks so much for the kind words and making the recipe — so glad you liked it. It’s one of my favorites! — Bernie
I loved this. Making it for the second time in a week. Just added some more spices for my personal preference the second time. Even. Better as left overs too. Thank you.
Hi Lala – wow so happy you enjoyed the recipe this much – thank you! I agree – spices are definitely personal preference. I appreciate you taking the time to share your kind words — Bernie
How would I make this in advance? What could I do early and what should I save for the next day?
Hi Steph – you can actually make this entire recipe recipe the day before and store in the refrigerator. The sauce is almost better the next day. Wait to make the pasta until just before serving. When you reheat the sauce add a splash of the pasta water to it. — thanks for reaching out — Bernie