Braised Beef Ragu Recipe with Pappardelle

3 hours 35 minutes

By: Julie Blanner36 Comments
Updated: 9/27/21

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Learn how to make amazing Braised Beef Ragu Recipe with Pappardelle without a lot of effort! This is an easy one pot pasta dish that’s full of rich simmered flavor to warm you up this winter.

Slow cooked for the most tender beef and an incredibly savory sauce that the whole family will love!

Two white plates on a marble surface, filled with a beef ragu recipe and a small bowl of parsley to the side.

Originally published August 2015, updated with additional tips, new images and details March 2021.

I grew up in St. Louis, which means I was raised on Italian food. The Hill in St. Louis is an area that attracted Italians in the late 19th century and the area consists primarily of great Italian food, which has penetrated the city.

I can get my fix for a lot of Italian classics, but I have yet to find a really great Braised Beef Pappardelle that compares to my Kansas City favorite, Lidia’s.

A close up of pappardalle pasta with beef ragu sauce, topped with parsley and parmesan.

I have come to crave the hearty, flavorful dish of Braised Beef Pappardelle. It’s the perfect comfort food for a cold fall or winter evening. As it braises, it fills your home with the most amazing aroma. Something about making braised beef makes everything feel a lot slower, and easier.

This Braised Beef is so amazing that you can easily skip the pappardelle and make it low carb and Keto!

Our girls always beg for seconds whenever we make braised beef ragu recipe. The vegetables are disguised in the sauce adding a lot of flavor and nutrition and the girls are none the wiser! WIN! It’s loaded with vitamins and protein and there’s no added sugar or salt.

Beef ragu and Pappardelle pasta in a large cast iron pot, wooden spoon to the side.

Why You’ll Love this Beef Ragu Recipe

This ragu is perfect for a weekend dinner in or entertaining a large group of family and friends who will never know how little effort you had to invest in this incredible dinner!

Inexpensive
Comforting
So easy
Staple ingredients

Braised Beef Ragu with Pappardelle Ingredients

For the most flavorful ragu, use the freshest and best quality ingredients.

Ingredients for a beef ragu recipe laid out on a white marble surface.

Chuck Roast – This inexpensive cut of beef shreds easily after simmering for hours.
Pepper – Thick flacks of fresh ground black pepper are preferred.
Olive Oil – I always prefer extra virgin olive oil but whatever you have on hand will work well.
Rosemary – Fresh rosemary is fragrant and flavorful, but dried works as well.
Sage – Fresh sage offers the best flavor.
Garlic – Fresh cloves or minced garlic.
Onion – White or yellow.
Carrot – Diced.
Celery – Diced.
Red Wine – It doesn’t need to be expensive. Choose a with body like a cabernet sauvignon, merlot or Bordeaux. Wine enhances the flavor and color.
Crushed Tomatoes – Fresh or canned.
Pappardelle – Fresh, dried or homemade pasta. You can use your favorite noodle. Thick noodles or short noodles work well.
Butter – Salted or unsalted to bring out all the flavors in the sauce.
Parmesan – To garnish.

A small white plate with pappardelle pasta, emulsified with a red sauce.

Variations

If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, use three tablespoons of my Italian Seasoning Blend.
Replace the red wine with beef stock.
Omit parmesan to make it dairy free.

How to Make Braised Beef Ragu

Despite long cooking time, this dish is so easy to make and largely hands off.

Pepper both sides of beef and cut into cubes. Add oil to Dutch oven over medium-high and add beef.
Stir until browned.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add herbs and vegetables. Sauté, stirring occasionally.
Preheat oven.
Add wine and reduce for 15 minutes.
Add crushed tomatoes and stir.
Place lid on Dutch oven and transfer to oven to bake.
When ragu has been in the oven for two hours and twenty minutes, bring a pot of water (salty like the sea) to a boil. Prepare pappardelle al dente (slightly undercooked).
Remove ragu from oven. Remove stems from herbs and shred beef with a fork – it should fall apart. Add optional butter.
Using a pasta fork or tongs, add cooked pasta to ragu. Add ¾ cup pasta water and toss to coat. This helps the sauce stick to the pasta.
Garnish with parmesan, fresh parsley or gremolata.

Slow Cooker Beef Ragu

If you prefer, you can also make Braised Beef Pappardelle in a crockpot.

Follow stove top directions through step four (or use the sauté function on your appliance if you have one).
Then transfer to your slow cooker or your instant pot. Slow cook on high for three hours, or low for approximately six hours.
Or, put your instant pot on high for 45 minutes.
Shred beef with forks, and following remaining steps.

Best Pasta to Serve with Ragu

I love serving this with pappardelle, but you try this with tagliatelle, fettuccine, garganelli or penne. It’s incredible with Homemade Pasta
Substitute gluten free noodles to make this dish gluten free.
Pair it with zoodles for a low carb pasta alternative.

A small white plate with beef ragu and pappardelle pasta, gold fork to the side.

Serving Suggestions

To take it over the top, garnish with Gremolata, a traditional Italian condiment.
Fresh grated Parmesan offers the best flavor.
Add a little chopped parsley, rosemary or sage on top for a burst of vibrant green color to garnish.

Side Salad Suggestions

Tips

Bring Reef to Room Temperature – This allows the meat to cook evenly. The exterior of the meat will not burn and the inside won’t remain cold. This also increases juiciness!
Add Pasta Water and Toss – The starch in pasta water helps the sauce adhere to the pasta ensuring it’s coated to perfection for rich flavor in every bite. This process, known as emulsifying, is key to flavorful pasta.
Use a Dutch Oven – I like to prepare dishes like this in a Dutch oven because it browns beautifully and locks in flavor. It goes from stovetop, to oven, to table which saves on dishes, too!

What to do With Leftovers

Make a beef stew
Create a beef ragu pot pie
Add a layer of mozzarella and turn it into a pasta bake
Serve it on top of creamy mashed cauliflower for low carb leftovers

A close up of beef ragu, topped with parsley and parmesan.

How to Store

At Room Temperature – This beef ragu recipe can sit out for up to two hours while serving.
Refrigerate – Bring to room temperature and store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days.
Freeze – This recipe freezes beautifully! Store beef ragu in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator before use.