Tagliatelle with Braised Short Rib Ragù

After a long, heavy week here in the D.C. area, all I needed from my Friday night was soul food and the company of dear friends. We had friends over last night for a cozy, autumnal evening. Is there a dish more comforting than fresh pasta with a rustic sauce? I’ll wait.

I often prepare The Pioneer Woman’s braised short ribs for my signature short rib risotto. This time, I riffed on her recipe to create my own rich, hearty ragù. It’s a convenient dinner party choice, because the dish requires overnight refrigeration to allow flavors to develop and fat to solidify. I made this on Thursday, then simply heated and served it on Friday (WAY more guest-friendly than finicky risotto).

Tagliatelle with Braised Short Rib Ragù

Ingredients:

• 4 bone-in short ribs

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 2 medium carrots, finely chopped

• 1 onion, minced

• 1 shallot, minced

• 1 bottle of dry red wine (I used a cheap Montepulciano d’Abruzzo)

• 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes (save the empty can - see recipe note)

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 sprigs rosemary

• 2 sprigs thyme

• Kosher salt

• Black pepper

• 2 pounds fresh tagliatelle

• Parsley, chopped

• Grated parmigiano

Directions:

Day One

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Pat meat dry and season all sides with kosher salt and pepper.

3. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in dutch oven. Sear short ribs until browned on all sides, about 5-6 minutes. Remove to plate.

4. Add shallot, onion, and carrots to hot dutch oven, cooking until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

5. Pour in wine and bring to boil, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Allow to boil for about two minutes.

6. Add rosemary, thyme, a few cracks of pepper, and two generous pinches of salt. Stir to incorporate. Add the crushed tomatoes and stir.

7. Return the short ribs to the pan, bone up. There should be almost enough liquid to cover the meat (if there is not enough liquid, see suggestion in next line.)

8. Cover pot and place in preheated oven. Bake for two hours at 350 degrees. Check the pot - if the liquid has reduced significantly, rinse the empty tomato can and pour about 1 cup of tomato water into pot and stir.

9. Lower heat to 325 and continue to cook until short ribs are tender and fall off the bone, about 30-40 more minutes.

10. Allow short ribs to cool in uncovered dutch oven for 15 minutes. Removing them to a cutting board, shred the meat and discard of any cartilage. Be sure to save the bones for a homemade stock!

11. Place shredded meat and sauce in a storage container and refrigerate overnight.

Day Two

1. Break off the layer of solid fat that has risen to the top of the container. Discard or store for future use.

2. Place ragù in a large saucepan and bring to a slow boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and continue to cook for 30 minutes or up to two hours, until ready for serving. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.

3. Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add fresh pasta and cook according to package directions (if using homemade, cook about 90 seconds).

4. Add pasta to ragù and stir to incorporate. Serve immediately, garnishing with fresh parsley and grated parmesan.

Serves 4-6.

Wine pairing: full-bodied red. I loved it with a 2017 Northern Rhone-style Syrah from California.