Italian Short Ribs in Ragu brings the essence of Italian cuisine to your kitchen with a hearty and flavorful dish. Tender beef short ribs are slow-cooked in a savory tomato and red wine sauce , served over pappardelle pasta for a meal that’s both comforting and satisfying. This recipe is a wonderful choice for a cozy dinner that will impress your family and friends with its rich taste and beautiful presentation.
What are Italian Short Ribs?
Italian Short Ribs is a classic Italian-American dish that highlights the use of beef short ribs in a slow-cooked ragu. This dish is known for its depth of flavor and comforting qualities, using simple ingredients making it a favorite for family dinners and special occasions.
Also try my Authentic Italian Braciole, Italian Gravy, Pasta al Forno, and Wine Braised Sausages.
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🌟 Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Rich and Savory Flavor: The combination of succulent short ribs, aromatic vegetables, and rich red wine creates a deep, satisfying flavor that warms you up from the inside out.
- Tender and Comforting: The long braising process transforms the short ribs into tender, fall-off-the-bone meat that pairs perfectly with the wide pappardelle pasta and savory ragu.
- Hearty and Satisfying: This dish is a filling and hearty meal that’s perfect for a cozy dinner with big flavors. The rich ragu and comforting pasta make it a delicious choice for any meal. Try serving with crusty bread!
🥘 Ingredients
- Beef Short Ribs: Altough it's a tough cut of meat, the braising process makes is fork tender. In a bind, you can opt to use boneless short ribs, but I highly recommend bone in short ribs which will add deep flavor through the slow cooking.
- Carrots: Adds natural sweetness and depth to the ragu. Dice for even cooking and to mix well with the meat and sauce.
- Onion: Provides a savory foundation for the ragu. Dice and sautée until soft for a base layer of flavor.
- Garlic: Adds aromatic depth to the dish. Slice for a milder garlic flavor throughout the ragu.
- Tomato Paste: Creates a rich tomato base for the ragu and adds a deeper tomato flavor and color.
- Dry Red Wine (Chianti, Cabernet, etc.): Adds acidity and complexity to the ragu. Choose a dry red wine to complement the richness of the short ribs. If you don't want to use wine, you can opt to use beef broth or beef stock.
- Plum Tomatoes: Provides a juicy, flavorful base for the ragu. Hand-crushed or blended for a chunky tomato sauce.
- Bay Leaf: Adds a subtle, herbal note to the ragu. Remove before serving as it’s not edible.
- Fresh Thyme: Adds a fragrant, earthy flavor that complements the beef. You can any fresh herbs of your liking.
- Pappardelle: A wide, flat pasta that holds the rich ragu well. Use pappardelle for its ability to catch and hold the sauce. You could also use tagliaetelle or even rigatoni.
- Reserved Pasta Water: Helps adjust the consistency of the ragu; use to loosen the sauce if it gets too thick.
- Parmigiano Reggiano: Grated and used for finishing; adds a salty, nutty flavor to top off the dish.
See recipe card for quantities.
🔪 Instructions
Step 1: Preheat Oven & Prepare Ribs
Preheat oven to 300°F, season short ribs with kosher salt and black pepper.
Step 2: Sear the Short Ribs in olive oil.
Sear ribs on all sides in a hot large Dutch oven. Remove browned short ribs and set aside.
Step 3: Cook the Vegetables over medium heat.
Sauté carrots, onions, and garlic in the same pot.
Step 4: Prepare the Ragu Base
Over medium-high heat, add tomato paste, then wine, and scrape up browned bits from the bottom of the pan; simmer and add crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, and thyme.
Step 5: Braise the Short Ribs
Add ribs back into the braising liquid and braise in the preheated oven for 3 hours.
Step 6: Finish the Dish
Shred meat, mix with cooked pappardelle and reserved pasta water, serve with Parmigiano Reggiano and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
👩🏼🍳 Chef's Tip
- Take your time to sear the short ribs on all sides until they are deeply browned. This step is crucial for developing a rich, flavorful base for the ragu through the Maillard reaction.
📖 Substitutions & Variations
- Different Cut of Meat: Use beef chuck roast instead of short ribs; cut into chunks and braise for a similar rich and tender result.
- Pasta Alternatives: Substitute fettuccine or taglietelle for pappardelle; they are a slightly narrower flat pasta that works well with the ragu.
- Vegetable Variations: Replace carrots with mushrooms; add sliced mushrooms to the ragu for a deeper, earthy flavor.
🍴 Equipment
- Dutch oven
- Pair of Tongs
- Wooden spoon
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Large pot for boiling pasta
- Large pan for mixing pasta and ragu
- Forks for shredding meat
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Grater for Parmigiano Reggiano
💭 Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use other cuts of beef like chuck roast or beef shanks, but short ribs are ideal for this recipe because they have a lot of connective tissue that breaks down during braising, creating a rich, flavorful ragu.
Yes, you can make this recipe in a slow cooker. After searing the short ribs and preparing the ragu base, transfer everything to the slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours until the meat is tender.
If you don’t have Chianti, you can use other dry red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Pinot Noir. Just choose a red wine with good acidity to balance the richness of the ragu.
🥣 Storage & Reheating
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating: Reheat the ragu and pasta together or separately on the stovetop over low heat, adding reserved pasta water if needed.
Freezing: Store leftover ragu in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months, and freeze pasta separately or with the ragu for up to 1 month.
🍷 Wine Pairing
Chianti Classico
Chianti is a great wine pairing for Italian Short Ribs because its bright acidity and rich, fruity flavors complement the hearty, savory ragu while cutting through the richness of the short ribs. The wine’s balanced tannins also enhance the umami in the dish.
👩🏼🍳 Top Tips
- Sear the Short Ribs Well: Take your time to sear the short ribs on all sides until deeply browned; this step develops a rich, flavorful base for the ragu.
- Scrape the Pot: When adding the wine, make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to release the browned bits, which adds depth and richness to the sauce.
- Adjust the Pasta Consistency: Cook the pappardelle 1 minute less than the package directions for al dente, and reserve some pasta water to add to the ragu for the perfect sauce consistency.
🌿 Related Recipes
🥗 Pairing Recommendations
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating & comment below to let me know how it came out. Thanks for visiting!
📋 Recipe
Italian Short Ribs (with Pasta)
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Equipment
- Dutch oven
- Tongs
- Wooden spoon
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Large pot for boiling pasta
- Large pan for mixing pasta and ragu
- Forks for shredding meat
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Grater for Parmigiano Reggiano
Ingredients
- 10 bone-in short ribs 3-4" each, about 3-4 pounds
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- 2 cups dry red wine e.g., Chianti, Cabernet
- 1 28- ounce can plum tomatoes hand-crushed or blender-pulsed
- 1 large bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons thyme fresh
- 1 pound pappardelle
- 1 cup reserved pasta water use as needed
- ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Pat the short ribs dry, season with salt and pepper, and sear in a Dutch oven with olive oil on all sides. Set aside.
- In the same pot, sauté the carrots and onions until soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes, then add tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes.
- Pour in the wine, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any stuck-on bits. Add tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaf, and bring to a simmer.
- Return short ribs to the pot, cover, and cook in the oven for 2 hours. Then, cook uncovered for 1 more hour.
- Remove ribs, shred the meat, discard bones and fat, and return meat to the pot. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook pappardelle according to package directions (1 minute less for al dente). Reserve 1 cup pasta water.
- Mix pasta with ragu in a pan over medium-low heat, adding pasta water as needed.
- Serve with grated Parmigiano Reggiano and extra ragu on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
🌡️ Food safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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