Short ribs with pappardelle is the ultimate comfort food that is perfect for cooler nights when all you want to do is cozy up with a warm bowl of pasta. Beef short ribs are braised in a tomato and red wine sauce then tossed with pappardelle ribbons and topped with Parmigiano Reggiano. This is the ragu to end all other ragus.
This post may contain affiliate links. Our disclosure policy.
Editor’s Note: Originally Published on April 4, 2018. Updated with full process shots and expanded info.
As much as I love the summer, I do get a little excited when the weather cools down because that means heartier foods, like porchetta roast, baked butternut squash pasta, and this short rib ragu with pappardelle.
This is one of my most favorite dishes for a few reasons:
- Smells incredible. There is nothing quite like the smell of short ribs braised in red wine and herbs, or white wine and herbs like these braised short ribs. It smells like home, warmth, and family.
- It’s affordable. Mixing the beef with sauce and pasta allows you to extend the beef allowing you to get the most bang for your buck. I was able to get the short ribs on sale for $6.29 per pound but you can also use chuck or beef stew meat to make this even more affordable.
- Simple to make. But doesn’t taste simple. This is one of the easiest dishes to make as the prep is pretty basic and most of the cooking time involves braising in the oven, allowing you time to focus on other things. Because it braises for a few hours, the taste is deep and complex.
Variations and additions
Pappardelle is one of my favorite kinds of pasta.
Its ribbon-like shape and texture make it perfect for meat or cream-based sauces, like my Italian sausage pasta or creamy garlic mushroom pasta.
If you’re not able to find pappardelle, you can use tagliatelle, fettuccine, bucatini, or even rigatoni for this dish.
This also goes fantastically with homemade potato gnocchi or homemade pasta if you have the time.
This recipe calls for red wine. I almost always use a chianti when I’m making this dish, but really any bold red wine, such as a cabernet, super Tuscan, or Valpolicella would work well.
If you’re not able to find beef short ribs, you can opt for beef stew meat or use a 2-3 pound chuck roast cut into cubes.
One of my favorite additions to short ribs with pappardelle, in addition to the Parmigiano Reggiano, is to grate some bittersweet dark chocolate on top, right when I’m plating.
The chocolate adds another layer of flavor contributing to the complexity of the dish. I’d recommend using 80% cacao or higher and start with a little at a time to make sure you like it.
If you want to stretch the dish even further and add additional flavor, you could also add diced white button, baby Bella, or porcini mushrooms to this dish.
Want To Save This Recipe?
Enter your email and we'll send it to you. Plus, get great new recipes from us every week!
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Preheat the oven to 300f and set racks apart so that one large Dutch oven pot can fit in the middle of the oven. Finely dice 1 medium onion and a 2 medium carrots. Also, slice 2 cloves of garlic.
- Season the short ribs very well with a total of 2 teaspoons kosher salt and a 1/2 teaspoon black pepper on all sides.
- Heat a large Dutch oven to medium heat. Once the pot is hot add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, pat the short ribs dry with paper towels to remove any excess wetness, and place into the pot. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, sear the ribs on all sides until well browned (should take about 10 minutes per batch). Set the seared ribs to the side and turn the heat down to medium-low.
- At this point, there will be a lot of beef fat in the pot. Add the carrots and onions to the pot and saute them until very soft (about 10-12 minutes).
- Next, add in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes longer.
- Add in the 3 ounces of tomato paste, mix around constantly and cook for 3 minutes more.
- Add 2 cups of dry red wine (Chianti, Cabernet, Valpolicella, etc) to the pot and turn the heat back to medium. Using a wooden spoon, scrape and dislodge all of the brown bits. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the plum tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaf, and bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Return the short ribs to the simmering sauce. Try to keep them all submerged, but don’t worry if parts of some are sticking out.
- Turn off the heat and cover. Cook in the oven for 2 hours, then remove and turn over any short ribs. Crack the lid, leaving it open by about 1 inch, and return the pot to the oven. Let the ragu cook for 1 hour more.
- After 3 hours the short ribs will be falling apart. With tongs or a slotted spoon remove all of the short ribs, bones, thyme stems, and the bay leaf. Discard the thyme stems and bay leaf.
- Discard all of the short ribs bones (or save for a bone broth). The membrane that holds the meat to the bone needs to be removed. Cut it away with a sharp knife. Once all of the membrane parts have been removed, shred the beef with two forks, or alternatively chop it up. Note: The membrane will have a hard texture, distinct look and feel, and will be easily noticeable. Just take your time to remove the membrane before shredding the short rib meat. The collagen-filled membrane or connective tissue can be eaten, but for the purposes of shredding the beef and to have a uniform texture, I recommend removing it. You can save it with the bones to make a stock if desired.
- Place all the shredded beef into the pot and keep the pot on low heat. Give the ragu a taste test and adjust salt and pepper if required.
- Bring a large pot of salted water (2 tablespoons kosher salt) to boil and cook the pappardelle to almost cooked (about 1-2 minutes less than al dente. While the pasta is cooking place about 2 cups of the short rib ragu into a large pan and turn the heat to medium-low.
- Before draining the pasta save 1 cup of pasta water. Place the pasta into the pan with the hot ragu and stir well to thoroughly coat the pasta.
- Finish cooking the pasta in the ragu for 1-2 minutes or until al dente then turn the heat off. If more ragu is needed, add it now. If the pasta is a bit dry use some of the reserved pasta water ( a couple ounces at a time) to loosen it up. Serve with grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and the extra ragu on the side. Enjoy!
Note: you’ll have about 1/2 bottle of wine left after making the sauce. If you’re so inclined, this meal pairs perfectly with a glass of chianti, super Tuscan, or a cabernet. Cin Cin!
Top Tips
- Sear the short ribs very well – Taking the time to put a great sear on all the sides of the shorts ribs will increase the ragu’s flavor tremendously. The maillard reaction whereby the protein and sugars of the beef are transformed by intense heat makes the flavor that much better.
- Sweat the veggies – Just as building the flavor with the seared meat, sweating the carrot and onion through slow cooking will impart a sweetness to the short rib ragu. Don’t rush this step.
- Fresh thyme – Thyme just goes so well with braised beef and red wine. It’s one of my favorite herbs to use for short ribs but feel free to experiment.
- Refrigerate overnight – You will get an even better flavor if you make this red wine short rib ragu one day in advance. It’s a great make-ahead dinner party recipe! An added bonus is the fat will come to the top overnight, and you can remove most of it the next day by scraping it off with a spoon before reheating. This makes the dish a tad healthier, but in the end, there is nothing too healthy about this dish ;).
More hearty Italian pasta recipes
If you like short ribs with pappardelle, try these other super hearty and comforting pastas.
If you’ve enjoyed this Short Ribs with Pappardelle Pasta Recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and tell us about it in the comments below.
We strive to satisfy a number of learning styles. If you are someone who prefers to learn by watching, you can find most of our recipes on YouTube and our Facebook Page.
Short Ribs with Pappardelle
Ingredients
- 1 pound pappardelle
- 10 3-4" bone-in short ribs 3-4 pounds
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal Kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 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 chianti, cabernet, etc
- 1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes hand crushed or blender pulsed
- 1 large bay leaf
- 10 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 cup reserved pasta water will most likely not need all of it
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano for finishing
Want To Save This Recipe?
Enter your email and we’ll send it to you. Plus, get great new recipes from us every week!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F and move racks to make enough room to accommodate a large Dutch oven pot in the middle of the oven.
- Pat the short ribs dry and season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and a 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper on all sides. Heat a large Dutch oven to medium heat. After the pot is hot add the olive oil. Give the short ribs one more pat to make sure they're dry, then add them to the pot and and sear on all sides. Work in batches and do not crowd the pan. Short ribs should take about 10 minutes to sear on all sides per batch.
- Set the seared short ribs aside and turn the heat down to medium-low. Add in the carrots, and onions and saute in the beef fat until very soft (about 10 minutes) then add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes longer.
- Next, add in the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes stirring frequently. Add the wine and turn heat to medium. Using a wooden spoon scrape all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.
- After cooking the wine for 3 minutes, add the plum tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Once simmering add the short ribs to the pot, stir, then turn off and cover. Cook short ribs in the oven for 2 hours. After two hours, place the lid partially ajar and continue to cook for 1 more hour.
- Remove Dutch oven, then remove short ribs and place onto a large cutting board. Using 2 forks, shred the meat. Discard any hard parts of fat and the bones. Also, discard any thyme stems and the bay leaf. Return the shredded meat to the pot and keep warm over low heat. Taste test the ragu and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring a large pot of salted water (2 tablespoons kosher salt) and cook pappardelle until al dente. Heat a large pan to medium-low heat and add in 2 cups of the short rib ragu. Add the al dente pasta to the pan and cook for 1 more minute mixing well to thoroughly coat the pasta.
- If the pasta needs more ragu, add more now. If the sauce seems a little dry add a bit of reserved pasta water to loosen it up. Serve plated with grated Parmigiano Reggiano and the remaining ragu on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
- Makes 6 moderate or 4 large servings.
- Making the ragu 24 hours in advance and refrigerating overnight will yield even better flavor. If doing so, you can remove some of the fat that will rise to the top with a spoon after being chilled.
- The collagen-filled membrane or connective tissue can be eaten, but for the purposes of shredding the beef and to have a uniform texture, I recommend removing it. You can save it with the bones to make a stock if desired.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the microwave.
- The leftover ragu can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Follow Me
The Sip and Feast Cookbook
- 100+ recipes
- Essential tools and ingredients
- Entertaining ides
- Stunning photography
This recipe was originally published on April 4, 2018. It was completely updated on October 5, 2021.
I haven’t made this yet, so I can’t rate it, but I’m planning on making it for my family and wondered if I can use beef broth instead of the wine without compromising the taste too much. thanks!
Hi Cathy, yes, you can omit the wine and replace with beef broth (low or no sodium). Hope you enjoy!
This recipe was so easy to follow and absolutely perfect for a stormy day (you meant it when you said comfort food!). What I’m also enjoying about your YouTube channel and website is how accesible the ingredients are and how you all breakdown the process to prepare. Bravo and can’t wait to try more!
Hi Mina, we really appreciate the comments and are so happy you enjoyed this recipe and the channel!
Made this last night cannot tell you how delicious this was. My company was complimenting it. My husband ate leftovers today. Thanks for the recipe
Hi Cheryl, thanks for the comment! We’re so happy you all enjoyed this one!
Great instructions, great meal. Thank you
Hi Rob, we’re so happy you enjoyed and really appreciate the comment!
Sorry it pays to read the fine print I see that refrigeration makes it better! Thanks again
Have you ever made the sauce and refrigerated it and then reheated it when you can make the pasta fresh? I want to do a couple of your sauces at an event and it would be much easier to make them ahead of time. Thanks so much for all the amazing recipes I love your YouTube channel.
Hi Sarah, yes, Jim has made the sauce ahead of time a few times. It will actually taste better when reheated and will also be easier to degrease. Hope you enjoy and so happy you’re enjoying the channel!
Deliciousssssss!! I’m not even a great or natural cook but this was easy and SO good! It did take some time, but with patience comes a fantastic meal. I can’t wait to make this again.
Hi Ariana, I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe and thank you for the comment!
I only had 4 short ribs (1 pack), not 10 but wanted to use what I already had in the fridge. Eek! I tried to pair down some of the other ingredients but I’m not sure how long this should stay in the oven. Did I mess this up by having less meat?
Hi Jamie, the cook time would be the same because the short ribs still need to cook and break down enough to become tender. Hope you enjoy!
This recipe was outstanding! I used a little more than 4 lbs of short ribs. I ended up boiling 2 lbs of pappardelle and there was more than plenty of sauce to cover it all! Could easily feed 8 adults! This was so delicious. I took your advice and made the sauce the day before and refrigerated it overnight. The flavors really melded so nicely together! Thank you for sharing this one! I’ll be keeping it for future family gatherings!
Hi Lindsey, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed the ragu!
My goal in making this recipe was to recreate a cuzzetiello con carne al ragu that I tried at this little takeaway spot called Tandem d’asporto in Naples. I followed your recipe exactly and it came together just as I remembered. I think if you made a video with that in the thumbnail it would do well, probably. I used Chianti, but would like to use a cheaper alternative in the future. I know nothing about wine. What cheap alternative brand do you recommend? Thanks! I also discovered your podcast today and really enjoyed the first episode. Keep doing your thing.
Hi David, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed. You can usually find some affordable chiantis as they’re definitely not the most expensive of the Italian wines. An inexpensive one is Ruffino (usually around $12). Thanks for listening to the podcast!
Dude, your recipes are the absolute best and have galvanized my love for eating and making authentic Italian cuisine.
One question for this recipe: why no celery? I’ve made it a few times and typically use celery (sofrito) but I’m curious why you don’t.
Keep doing your thing, pal!
Jeremy
Hi Jeremy, thanks so much and glad you’re enjoying the recipes. You can definitely add celery if you’d like. I believe the day we were doing this recipe we didn’t have celery so Jim did it without and it was great so we kept it that way.
Hi James,
If I’m adding mushrooms to the recipe, what stage would I add them?
Hi Linda, it would probably be good to cook them separately as a saute (similar to how I did in the beef bourguignon recipe) and add at the end.
Jim and Tara, thank you a lot for this recipe. I made this for my father’s Birthday and this is the only meal that I, any of my siblings, or our significant others have cooked that got not just a seal of approval from both my parents, but has been requested. That itself is magical. I just wanted to say keep up the great work and I’m relying on you to keep impressing my folks now.
Hi Doug, thanks for the comment and so happy to hear you enjoyed it. Thanks for following along with us!
Jim, Please provide your comments. I ended up with a 3 lb shoulder roast that is really a cut I don’t like. Too tough for “london broil” and not fatty enough for braising. We love your shredded ragu and I was considering doing a shredded beef ragu using the shoulder and your recipe here. Do you think I’ll end up with cardboard! Are there any tricks that might help this actually work out?
Hi Den, thanks for the comment. Shoulder roast is essentially the same as chuck roast which is great for all braising recipes including beef bourguignon, beef barley soup, italian beef stew, guinness beef stew, etc. all of which I have recipes for on the website. Hope that helps!
The best sauce. Delicious meaty flavor. I will definitely make it again
Hi Janet, we’re so happy you enjoyed the sauce and appreciate your comment!
Hi, If I make this the day before I serve it how long do i reheat it for? Would it be on the stove top?
Hi Jean, you can reheat the sauce until warmed through on the stove top, then make your pasta and toss with the sauce.
Made this last night for the family – went down a storm and still plenty leftover for the freezer. Thank you so much! Keep the recipes coming 👍
Hi there, thanks for the comment and we’re so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Hi Jim and Tara,
Well, I did make this recipe the original way and not in the instant pot. Only difference is I only bought 4 short ribs but still had enough meat. This was so hearty, satisfying and delicious which my husband and I loved. Thanks for another great recipe!
Hi Karen, we’re so happy you enjoyed and really appreciate the comment, thank you!
Hi Jim,
Just saw this recipe and was wondering if it would work in an instant pot? Although I like to try a recipe the original way first which I already did and was delicious even though I only made it with 4 beef short ribs. There was still enough meat with the pasta. I will definitely make again. Thanks for another great recipe and love your videos!😊❤
Hi Karen, thanks for the comment. I haven’t tested this recipe in an Instant Pot so I can’t say for sure, but it would probably work. Let us know how it works out if you try it that way! So happy you’re enjoying the recipes and videos!
Hi Jim,
Love your videos and recipes! Was wondering after browning the ribs how it would come out cooked with all ingredients in an instant pot and if you or anyone tried this? Sometimes I’m short on time and may try this. Thanks for the recipe and if I try the alternative I will let you know how it comes out.😊
Hi Karen, thanks for the comment and so happy you’re enjoying the recipes. Jim hasn’t tested this recipe in the Instant Pot but it would probably work. Hope you enjoy!
I am going to make this with oxtail, but i dont have an oven at my disposal. Is the cooking time on the stove the same and do I need to take other things into account? Stir more often for instance?
Hi Arthur, if you’re going to cook on the stove top, you will need to stir it more often. Cook until fork tender and you should be good!