DINNER TONIGHT

Slow-Cooked Beef Ragu with Tagliatelle

Tender slow-cooked beef ragu tossed through silky tagliatelle.

EASY

3 HOURS

SERVES 6-8

ABOUT THE RECIPE

The smell alone is almost worth the wait with slow-cooked beef ragu. Beef chuck breaks down into tomato, red wine and herbs until the sauce feels rich enough to coat every ribbon of tagliatelle. Not quick, but exactly the kind of dinner worth staying home for.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

2 carrots, finely diced

4 stalks celery, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 kg beef chuck steak, cut into large chunks

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 cup red wine

2 tins chopped tomatoes

1 litre beef stock

1 bay leaf

1 tsp sugar

½ tbsp soy sauce

1 pinch chili flakes

1 sprig rosemary

3 sprigs thyme

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

250g tagliatelle

1½ tbsp butter

To Serve

Grated Parmesan

Olive oil, for drizzling

Fresh parsley, chopped

Method

1.

Heat a large casserole dish over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil.

2.

Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook gently for 1 minute until fragrant. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.

3.

Pat the beef dry with paper towel. Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the pot and brown the beef in batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until a deep golden crust forms.

4.

Return the vegetables and beef, along with any resting juices, to the pot. Stir to combine. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring so everything is well coated.

5.

Pour in the red wine and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the base of the pot to lift any caramelised bits.

6.

Tie the rosemary and thyme together with kitchen string for easy removal. Add the chopped tomatoes, beef stock, bay leaf, sugar, soy sauce, chilli flakes, rosemary bundle, thyme bundle, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

7.

Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 2½ to 3 hours, or until the beef is meltingly tender and the sauce has thickened. Stir occasionally.

8.

In the final 15 minutes of cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the tagliatelle according to packet instructions. Drain and return the pasta to the pot. Toss gently with ½ tbsp butter.

9.

Stir the parsley and remaining 1 tbsp butter through the ragu.

10.

Add the pasta to the ragu and toss through with tongs until well coated.

11.

Divide between bowls, then finish with grated Parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil and a scatter of fresh parsley.

SAMANTHA'S NOTES

Brown the beef

Keep it gentle

Finish with butter

Take the time to brown the beef properly, working in batches if needed. You want a deep golden crust, not steamed meat, because that is where the flavour starts.

The ragu should simmer slowly, not boil aggressively. Low heat gives the beef time to soften and the finely diced vegetables time to melt into the sauce.

A little butter at the end adds gloss and rounds out the tomato and red wine. Toss it well with the tagliatelle so every ribbon is coated.

KEEP COOKING