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Possibly one of my favorite dishes ever, this is my silky, slow-cooked beef short ribs ragu tossed in pappardelle pasta. This recipe layers flavor at every stage: deeply seared beef, a sweet soffritto base, rich tomato, red wine, and herbs. After a long, gentle braise, the meat falls apart into the sauce, leaving a glossy ragù that clings to ribbons of pappardelle or pools luxuriously over creamy polenta.
Table of Contents
Ragù is an Italian meat-based sauce, slowly cooked with tomatoes, wine and aromatics until it becomes rich and velvety. Unlike a quick Bolognese, short rib ragu is all about time – but it’s actually simple overall.
This post gives you everything you need: a step-by-step recipe, timings for oven, stove top, or slow cooker, troubleshooting advice, make-ahead and freezing guidance, plus serving suggestions if you don’t want to serve with pasta. If you want more depth, don’t miss my complete guide to cooking beef short ribs.
Why you will love this recipe
- The meat melts into the sauce for the most silky, melt-in-the-mouth texture.
- Using bone-in short ribs adds layers of savory depth; and the bones pull easily out after a long, slow braise.
- It keeps well if you want to prep ahead and store in the freezer or get ahead of hosting by prepping the day before.
- The flavor from slow cooking is unbeatable, so rich and meaty, but it’s simple to make as it just requires time rather than effort.
Ingredients
- Bone-in beef short ribs – You want about 2 2/3 lb (1.2 kg) for this but this is forgiving with quantities, as you want it as a sauce and it’s bulked out with the pasta, so it’s a good cut of meat to use for large groups, as it can go a long way. I use bone-in for maximum flavor and for ease, as that’s what I often find at the butchers. You may also want to try my red wine beef short ribs served with mash.
- Beef stock – This can either be with a stock pot, a stock cube or store-bought stock. Homemade also works if you have it.
- Red wine – I always say use something you’d be happy to drink but it doesn’t have to be expensive either. Something like a Cabernet or Chianti but anything works.
- Dark chocolate – just two squares of dark chocolate adds richness and depth to the ragu. It’s my secret tip for this recipe.
Substitutions and variations
Wine – If you can’t use wine, add 100ml more beef stock with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar for the acidity. It may need a splash more balsamic vinegar at the end to mimic the acidity.
Serving suggestions – I’ve served with pasta, but you could do gnocchi, creamy polenta, or buttery mashed potatoes too. It’s also delicious (bear with me) on toast (something like a baguette or ciabatta) with some more Parmesan on top.
How to make a perfect beef short ribs ragu
Here’s a quick visual guide — the full recipe with exact measurements is below.
ONE: Heat a large Dutch oven pot (you want an ovenproof dish with a lid and heavy bottom) over high heat. Add a drizzle of oil then sear the ribs until they’re well browned but definitely not cooked, then set aside. You just want some color.
TWO: Add the diced veg to the same pan in which you seared the ribs, with a little salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes
THREE: Stir in the tomato paste and the red wine. Let it cook for a couple of minutes. Heat the oven to 355°F (180°C/160°C fan).
FOUR: Add the chocolate, bay leaves, thyme, and tomatoes and then refill the can with water and add to the pan. Then add the stock. You want enough stock to almost cover the ribs – around 1 1/4 cups (10 fl oz/300 ml) but could be more (e.g., 2 cups/16 fl oz/500 ml), depending on your pan. Bring everything to a gentle simmer, then nestle the ribs back into the sauce. Cover with a lid.
FIVE: Cook low and slow for about 3 1/2 hours in the oven. If you’d rather, you can do it on the stove on a really low simmer for 3 hours, until the meat is falling-apart tender. Pull the bones out of the ribs; they should just slide out. Then shred up the meat and add back to the sauce.
SIX: Then boil the pasta in well-salted boiling water and then drain. Add the pasta to the pan of ragu. Add a few spoons of pasta water and toss together. Top with Parmesan and fresh parsley or basil.
Tips from Margie’s kitchen
- Sauce too thin? Simmer uncovered 15-20 minutes to thicken.
- If your meat isn’t shredding easily it may just need longer. All short ribs are different so if it doesn’t shred easily, place back in the sauce and put back in the oven for 30 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
I use bone-in beef short ribs for a deeper flavor and natural gelatin, which thickens the sauce. I prefer it like that but boneless ribs do work. They are leaner and so give a slightly lighter sauce.
Yes, add 3 1/2 fl oz (100 ml) more beef stock with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar for the acidity.
I used pappardelle to pair with beef ragu as the wide pasta holds the sauce well but a short pasta like paccheri or rigatoni would work. Tagliatelle is a good option too.
I just use a wide, flat spoon to skim off excess fat once it’s out of the oven. If you keep the spoon flat and press it gently into the sauce, while flat, the top layer will run into the spoon, which tends to be the fat. Add the skimmed fat to a bowl, let it solidify then dispose.
If you are prepping ahead, you can let the ragu cool in the pot, which will then solidify the fat so you can spoon it off that way.
Other recipes you might enjoy
If you like this recipe, you will also love my beef shin ragu and guide to cooking the perfect sirloin steak. For a veggie alternative, try my Creamy and Rich Lentil Ragu.
Easy Pasta Recipes
Burrata with Pasta (Tomato Burrata Pasta)
Easy Pasta Recipes
Creamy Sausage Pasta (Pasta alla Norcina)
Easy Lamb Recipes
Juicy Lamb Burgers with Mint, Tzatziki & Pesto
If you tried this Beef Short Ribs Ragu or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a rating or comment and let us know how it went!
Slow Cooked Beef Ribs Ragu
Ingredients
For the ragu:
- 2 2/3 lb (1.2 kg) bone-in beef short ribs, usually about 4
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 red onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 small bunch of fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 1/2 fl oz (100 ml) red wine, something you would drink but nothing expensive
- 2 cups (16 fl oz/500 ml) beef stock, or enough to nearly cover the short ribs; top up with more stock/water as needed
- 1 (14.5 oz/400 g) can chopped tomatoes, or passata
- 2 squares dark chocolate
- 1/2 tsp sugar , or 1 tsp balsamic glaze
To serve
- 14 oz (400 g) pappardelle or rigatoni
- Parmesan
- Fresh parsley or basil, to top
Instructions
- Pat the short ribs dry to help them brown nicely. Season generously with salt and, if possible, leave them uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry brine. If you don’t have time, just move on to searing.
- Heat a large Dutch oven pot (you want an ovenproof dish with a lid and heavy bottom) over high heat. Add a drizzle of oil then sear the ribs until they’re well browned but definitely not cooked, then set aside. You just want some color.
- I like to blitz the carrots, celery, garlic, and onions in my food processor for a quick fine dice. But you can also do by hand. Add the diced veg to the same pan in which you seared the ribs, with a little salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste and the red wine. Let it cook for a couple of minutes. Heat the oven to 355°F (180°C/160°C fan).
- Add the chocolate, bay leaves, thyme, and tomatoes to the pot and then refill the tomato can with water and add to the pan. Then add the stock. You want enough stock to almost cover the ribs – around 1 1/4 cups (10 fl oz/300 ml) but could be more (e.g. 2 cups/16 fl oz/500 ml), depending on your pan. Bring everything to a gentle simmer, then nestle the ribs back into the sauce. Cover with a lid.
- Cook low and slow for about 3 1/2 hours in the oven. If you’d rather, you can do it on the stove on a really low simmer for 3 hours, until the meat is falling-apart tender.
- Once out of the oven, there will likely be a nice layer of fat in the pot. I like to remove some of it (keep some as fat is flavor) but if there is a lot, you don’t want it to feel too greasy. I use a large spoon to skim the fat off the surface and discard it.
- Pull the bones out of the ribs; they should just slide out. If there is some jellified fat on the short ribs, you can trim this and discard, as it’s not always a nice texture to eat. Then shred up the meat and add back to the sauce.
- At this stage, you can refrigerate the ragu for up to 3-4 days and reheat when needed.
- Then boil the pasta in well-salted boiling water and then drain. Add the pasta to the pan of ragu. Add a few spoons of pasta water and toss together. Top with Parmesan and fresh parsley or basil.
Video
Notes
Make-ahead and storage
To Store: Keep leftover ragu in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Storing them in the cooking liquid keeps the meat tender and stops it drying out. To Reheat: Gently reheat the ragu either on the stove over low heat (covered) until warmed through. Add a splash of stock or water if the sauce has thickened too much. To Freeze: Once cooled completely, portion into airtight containers with some of the sauce. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating gently. Make Ahead: I find the flavor often improves after a night or two in the fridge. Cook the ragu fully, let them cool, then refrigerate overnight. Skim any solidified fat from the surface before reheating. Leftover Sauce: If you have extra sauce, don’t throw it away – it’s packed with flavor. Stir it into soups, or use as a base for a stew.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I didn’t use the same cut of beef but the taste of this dish was DIVINE!! Thank you!!
Great news! Glad you loved it Betsabeh!
This is the most perfect recipe for beef short ribs ragu. It’s meaty and rich, perfect with pappardelle. It has so much flavour and depth in the sauce, I love it.