Beef Ragu Pasta

Serve 4-5 people

Ingredients:

For Ragu Sauce-

  1. 2.5 lb beef (cut into equal 4 pieces)
  2. 700g/24.7oz (2 jars) whole red datterino tomatoes in its juice
  3. 3 oz tomato puree (1/4 jar of red datterino puree)
  4. 2 beef bouillon cubes or 2 cups beef stock
  5. 1 cup (250ml) red wine, full bodied (like merlot, cabernet sauvignon)
  6. 1 tbsp salt
  7. Black pepper
  8. 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  9. 3 cloves garlic
  10. 1 olion
  11. 1 cup carrots
  12. 1 cup celery
  13. 1 1/2 cups (375ml) water
  14. 3/4 tsp dried thyme 
  15. 3 dried bay leaves

For Pasta Dish (not all sauce is used)-

  1. 1.1 lb (500g) tagliatelle pasta (your choice of flavor)
  2. Fresh grated parmigiana reggiano
  3. Fresh chopped parsley

Process:

For Sauce - 

  1. Pat beef dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper
  2. 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.
  3. Turn stove down to medium low and add remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil.
  4. Soffrito: Add garlic and onion and sauté for couple minutes. Then add the carrots and celery and sauté slowly for about 5 minutes.
  5. Add remaining Ragu ingredients and return the beef to the pot. Turn the stove up and bring it to a simmer, then turn it down to low so it's bubbling very gently. 
  6. Slow cook: Cover the pot and let it cook for 2 hours or until beef is tender enough to shred. 
  7. 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.
  8. Final season: Do a taste test and adjust the seasoning to your taste with salt and pepper. With Cosi Come datterino tomatoes, you don’t have to add any sugar, but if not, add 1/2 tsp sugar if sauce is a bit sour for your taste. Place the lid on and set aside until ready to serve.

For Pasta Dish - 

  1. Bring a very large pot of water with salt to the boil.(add about 1-2 tablespoons of salt for every pound of pasta, you should use four quarts of water to boil a full pound).
  2. Add pasta and cook for 1 minute less than the recommended cooking time as per the packet instructions. (Because you will cook couples minutes in the pan together with sauce, try before you are about to add pasta in the sauce)
  3. Meanwhile, place about 5 cups of the Ragu in a large fry pan. Heat over high heat while the pasta is cooking.
  4. When the pasta is ready, transfer it directly from the pot into the fry pan using tongs.
  5. Add 3/4 cup of pasta water into the fry pan.
  6. Gently toss the pasta for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce water evaporates and leaves you with a thick Ragu sauce that coats the pasta.
  7. Serve with plenty of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano and a pinch of chopped parsley.

[Notes]

  1. Tagliatelle pasta is the thick wide pasta and is ideal for this recipe because the shreds of beef cling to the thick pasta strands. Don't skip the step of tossing pasta with the sauce! This is called "emulsifying" and it is a KEY secret to awesome pastas because it makes the sauce cling to the pasta. I can't stress enough what a difference emulsifying makes to pastas!
  2. Sugar - The sweetness of canned tomatoes differs depending on brand (typically more expensive = sweeter). We strongly suggest you use Cosi Come tomatoes as the sweetness is higher than general tomatoes and the quality is the top that bring you the luxury flavor. With Cosi Come tomatoes you don’t have to add any sugar, but if not, adjust the sweetness of your sauce to your taste by using sugar - 1/2 tsp at a time.
  3. Storage - sauce keeps for 5 days in the fridge, or months in the freezer. 

Shopping List:

Whole Red Datterino Tomatoes in its juice 

Red Datterino Puree 

Tagliatelle pasta (your choices)