A budget cut of beef, simple pantry ingredients, a bit of patience and pappardelle pasta. This Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Sauce with Pappardelle may be the king of all pastas. It is hands down one of my all time favourite pastas ever!
Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Sauce
There’s this annoying thing that’s been a thorn in my backside all my working life. This thing called pride.
I’m not a professional food photographer, or food stylist, videographer or a chef for that matter. But that doesn’t matter. What does matter is being proud of everything that I have on my website, knowing that even if there are people out there who can take better photos and make better videos, that I’ve done the best I can do and I’m proud of what I’m sharing.
3 years into blogging with over 500 recipes, I still get butterflies when I hit Publish on a new or updated recipe.
And having rewritten, rephotographed and made a video for this Shredded Beef Ragu which I first shared over 2 years ago, yes I’m going to have butterflies when I hit Publish on this (again!) because it’s one of my all time personal favourites. 🙂
I have a weakness for all things slow cooked, but hands down this shredded beef ragu is one of my all time favourites. I’d dare say I love it even more than traditional Ragu Alla Bolognese. It’s the shredded beef that seals the deal for me. The way it soaks up the sauce and clings to the pasta. It’s an absolute ripper!
I’m pretty sure I first learned how to make Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Sauce with Pappardelle from Lidia Bastianich. Years ago, her show “Lidia’s Italy” was one of the few cooking shows on free-to-air TV and I used to watch them over and over again. Almost everything I know about Italian cooking (including the reason why I was hunting down Kale a decade before it became “cool”) is because of Lidia Bastianich. Old school, real deal Italian. 🙂
Best Pasta to serve with Ragu
The question of what type of pasta to serve with different pasta sauces is a question that I get asked quite regularly. Generally, most pasta sauces will pair perfectly well with most common pasta types, like spaghetti, fettuccine, linguine, penne / ziti, macaroni, shells etc.
And while this Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Sauce will be great with any type of pasta, the best pasta for a rich sauce like this ragu is pappardelle. This wide, flat pasta is especially great for this recipe because the shredded beef clings to the wide strands.
For pappardelle, I am quite particular about which brand I use because I’ve had problems in the past with uneven cooking. I use San Remo which is a well known trusted brand here in Australia. The pappardelle is bundled into nests so they are fully submerged when dropped into boiling water, and the nests are loose enough so the bubbling water separates the strands and the pappardelle cooks evenly.
You’ll find San Remo pappardelle at all the major supermarkets as well as fresh produce stores and delis. And here’s a photo for size context – giant pasta in my Baby Hands…..
Oh – and the other reason San Remo Pappardelle is my pasta of choice for ragu is because it’s an egg pasta. The addition of egg makes the pappardelle stronger so it doesn’t break when tossed in the thick, rich sauce.
If you’ve just invested hours of patience, slow cooking the sauce to tender perfection, you’ll make me cry if you just dump cooked pasta in a bowl and spoon over the sauce. And the entire nation of Italy will cry with me. 😉 Please promise me you will toss the ragu with the pasta before serving! It is worth it, I promise. Look how every strand of the pappardelle is beautifully coated in that luscious ragu!! – Nagi xx
Watch How To Make It
Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Sauce with Pappardelle recipe video!
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Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Pasta
Ingredients
Ragu
- 1.2kg / 2.5 lb chuck beef or other slow cooking beef cut, cut into equal 4 pieces (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp salt
- Black pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil , separated
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 onion , diced
- 1 cup carrots , diced (Note 2)
- 1 cup celery , diced (Note 2)
- 800g / 28oz crushed canned tomatoes
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 beef bouillon cubes , crumbled (Note 3)
- 1 cup / 250ml red wine , full bodied (like merlot, cabernet sauvignon), or sub with beef broth/stock
- 1 1/2 cups / 375 ml water (Note 3)
- 3/4 tsp dried thyme or 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 dried bay leaves
To Serve (Not all Sauce is used)
- 1 lb /500g dried pappardelle , or other pasta of choice (Note 4)
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese or parmigiano reggiano
- Fresh parsley , finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Pat beef dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper
- Sear Beef: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over high heat in a heavy based pot. Add beef and sear each piece aggressively on all sides until very browned (3 – 5 minutes in total), then remove onto a plate.
- Turn stove down to medium low and add remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil.
- Soffrito: Add garlic and onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add the carrots and celery and sauté slowly for 5 minutes.
- Add remaining Ragu ingredients and return the beef to the pot (including pooled juices). Turn the stove up and bring it to a simmer, then turn it down to low so it’s bubbling very very gently. (Note 7)
- Slow cook: Cover the pot and let it cook for 2 hours or until beef is tender enough to shred. (Note 5 for slow cooker and pressure cooker).
- Shred: Remove beef then coarsely shred with 2 forks. Return beef to the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes until sauce is reduced and thickened – beef will soften slightly more during this step.
- Final season: Do a taste test and adjust the seasoning to your taste with salt and pepper. ALSO, add 1/2 tsp sugar if sauce is a bit sour for your taste (Note 6). Place the lid on and set aside until ready to serve (it’s even better the next day and freezes well for months!).
To Serve (Note 4):
- Bring a very large pot of water with 1 tbsp of salt to the boil.
- Add pasta and cook for 1 minute less than the recommended cooking time as per the packet instructions.
- Meanwhile, place 5 cups of the Ragu in a very large fry pan, dutch oven or use 2 normal size fry pans. Heat over high heat while the pasta is cooking.
- When the pasta is ready, transfer it directly from the pot into the fry pan using tongs.
- Add 3/4 cup of pasta water into the fry pan.
- Gently toss the pasta (I use 2 wooden spoons) for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce water evaporates and leaves you with a thick Ragu sauce that coats the pasta.
- Yell for your family to sit down at the dinner table because you need to serve it immediately!
- Serve with plenty of freshly grated parmesan, or even better, with parmigiano reggiano.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Today’s recipe is brought to you with thanks to San Remo. When they asked if I would consider showcasing one of their products in a recipe, it seemed meant-to-be because I wanted to republish this Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu and in fact, I had made the video using San Remo pappardelle pasta before they approached me! I figured it was a sign. ❤️ San Remo is Australia’s most well known pasta brand and is available at supermarkets all around Australia, including the pappardelle I recommend using for this recipe.
Life Of Dozer
Pappardelle pup. (Try saying that 10 times real fast after a few glasses of wine.)
Well, I’m disappointed. I made this recipe hoping for leftovers. Unfortunately it was such a hit that my family couldn’t stop eating it! Thank you for the fabulous idea. I’m going to make it again soon when nobody is here and stick it in the freezer!!
Hi Nagi,
I’ve used your recipes for years. I am not the best cook and I would rather be doing something else, but I just wanted to let you know how great your recipes are and how proud you should be (if not already). Thanks heaps and keep them coming. You’re the best.
Cheers
Hello from New Zealand 🙂
Wow this beef ragu is absolutely beautiful.
I live on my own and freeze meals for future use. The flavour in this just keeps on giving.
Thanks so much, I am grateful to you for sharing your amazing talents..
Would this work with Lamb shoulder?
Yes definitely Nikita, depending on whether it’s deboned and the size – you’d just need to adjust the cook time. N x
I’m confused. I added two beef cubes and beef stock. Is the water in addition to the stock and beef cubes ?
Hi Jordan, just to confirm, you added the beef stock in place of the wine? And yes the water is added onto of this. N x
No. I actually used only 2lbs of chuck roast and cut it as you suggested into baseball sized chunks ( I coached my 2 son’s Little League teams for several years) My comment wasn’t very long. Saw many others of the same length.
I’ve been cooking for a long time and I’m very good at following recipes. I also noticed some other comments that addressed the cooking time for the meat. Maybe you cooked it at medium temperature and that’s why yours was done so fast.
Best Regards
Fab recipe turned out lovely – I made mine the night before and left it for 8 hours in the slow cooker on low. Reheated it to serve the next day. Will make again.
Becky did you add beef bouillon cubes and no water as per her recipe notes? I have liquid beef stock and I have the wine, but because her note said to not add the extra water I wasn’t sure if I needed to go buy some of the bouillon cubes. Thanks!
Wonderful recipe. BUT it takes much longer than 2 hours for the beef to become tender enough to to shred. I cooked mine in a dutch oven on the stove. It took about 3 1/2 hours. I left the cover off for the last hour in order to thicken the sauce.
Hi Steven, sorry yours took longer than the recipe, were your pieces of meat quite large as that will definitely add to the cook time. N x
Hi Nagi, i LOOOOVE all of your recipes so am excited to try this for mothers day. Do you have a recipe to make the Parpadelle from scratch or could you advise which type of flour would be best to use?
I don’t just yet sorry Mel!! One to add to the list! N x
I’m a slow cooker rookie and was very skeptical that this would not turn out as nice as it looks in the images but WOW – it was incredible! Highly recommend but I would say my beef was fairly cheap beef brisket cut and took 8 hours on low in order to be shreddable so don’t panic if yours takes longer than 6 hours
Nagi, What kind of red wine and canned tomatoes do you use???
Entire family LOVED this! My husband often orders this in restaurants and commented this recipe was “as good”! Thanks, Nagi! Another winner.
Hi! Can this recipe be easily adjusted for an Instant Pot?
Yes Nicole – it’s all in the recipe notes. N x
Hiya! I can never find big chunks of chuck at the supermarket, only steak thickness. Would Topside or bolar roast cuts work?
Yes any slow cooking cut will be fine here felicity. N x
See that now, thank you!
Best Ragu Recipe! Everyone I make it for loves it!
I wanted to make this recipe however, it is only me and my partner and 8 servings is simply too much even with freezing. If I wanted to make half of this recipe would I simply half the ingredients? How would you also advise I cut the me at?
Hi Aaliyah, you can click the servings and scale down to as many serves as you like, all the ingredients will change for you. Cook as per the recipe, just cut your smaller piece of beef into 4 so it cooks quicker (as you’ll have less liquid). Cook for about 1-1.5 hours, add a splash of water if the pan looks like it’s drying out. N x
I been doing 3-4 hr ragu all my life, and I tell you this need more tomato, and NOT paste. Don’t need to shred the beef, it looses a lot.
In big cubes is allright. and Also you can use tongue, or other beef cuts, broad asado, etc.
NEVER toss the ragu with the pasta right away. Serve on the table separately and ask everyone how would like the ragú served: on the side, on top, meat apart and sauce with the pasta, etc.
It’s a form of etiquette (and perhaps a source of table fight in several places in Italy), also shows respect for whom did your cook this.
Finally, you could make it for about 3hr, and continue the next day for 1hr more.
you will never forget this ragú in your life.
Wake up to yourself you elitist snob
Rich and authentic! A suggestion; add 250g chicken livers. Fry after veg, before meat. I mince my own mince, so I chase them through the mincer with the beef. They break down completely, add a creaminess and more depth. The flavour of the liver itself isn’t present.
Hi Nagi! Another wonderful recipe. I followed the directions and ingredients exactly using the slow cooker. The left overs the next day were even better. Thanks again!
Followed your recipe and done in the slow cooker. Simply awesome. Never had such a thick rich ragu for our pasta.
Hi, I’m am want to make this in the slow cooker but am confused by the intrustrucions as it says do not add water? Do I still need to add water for the beef beef cubes +