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This is the BEST beef short rib Ragù recipe - slow cooked to perfection in a dutch oven and served over freshly cooked pappardelle pasta. This decadent recipe takes time, but it is absolutely perfect for Sunday dinner or special occasions.
This post was originally published in September 2022 and has been updated for content.
Sunday dinner has always been a time when we get the family together to enjoy a meal. It's a great time to recharge and enjoy each other's company before a busy week.
I love making a hearty and delicious meal for Sunday dinner and this beef short rib Ragù recipe is perfect for that. Cooked low and slow on the stovetop, this thick sauce has the most delicious flavor and silky finish.
Jump to:
- 🍝 What is the difference between Ragù and bolognese?
- ❤️ What I love about this recipe
- 🍴What to eat with short rib Ragù
- 🍖 Ingredient notes
- 📋 Substitutions and variations
- 🔪 Step by step instructions
- ⭐ Expert tips
- 🥘 Alternative cooking methods
- ⏲️ Make ahead and storage instructions
- 💭 Frequently asked questions
- 🍝 More Sunday dinner recipes
- #ScarlatiFamilyKitchen
- Recipe
- Comments
🍝 What is the difference between Ragù and bolognese?
In Italy, Ragù isn't the brand of spaghetti sauce you see at the grocery store. Ragù sauce originated back in the 18th century by a chef to the Cardinal of Imola. He developed the recipe based on the french ragoût dish, which was a meat stew popular in Italian cuisine at the time.
Ragù in Italy, is a word that refers to any meat-based sauce. Ragù alla bolognese, or traditional Italian Bolognese sauce, is a variation of meat sauce that originated in Bologna, Italy.
The difference between ragu vs. bolognese is that Ragù is typically a richer sauce made with red wine, tomatoes and finished off with heavy cream. Bolognese on the other hand is made with less tomatoes, white wine and no cream.
❤️ What I love about this recipe
- Flavor - My favorite thing about this Ragù is the rich and decadent flavor that comes from cooking down the sauce.
- Whole Family - This beef short rib Ragù is popular with both kids and adults. Serve it confidently for a meal that the whole family will love.
- Make Ahead - While this recipe takes time, it's great to make ahead. Freeze the sauce in portions to make an easy meal later!
🍴What to eat with short rib Ragù
Pasta - Pappardelle pasta is one of my favorite things to serve with this short rib Ragù. Tagliatelle or fettuccine are other kinds of pasta that work for this sauce. For an extra special treat, make homemade pasta or try serving it over creamy parmesan polenta instead!
Salad - A salad served with a heavy pasta dish like this will help break up the meal. Try something like a simple Italian salad, arugula salad with parmesan, or celery salad with lemon vinaigrette.
Bread - Having some sort of bread to go along with your pasta is always a good idea. It's a great accompaniment and then you can use it to mop up any extra sauce on your plate. Try my crusty Italian bread or braided pesto bread.
Vegetables - Like salad, a vegetable side dish will help to balance out a heavy meal. Sautéed green beans, roasted parmesan artichokes or Brussels sprouts all would be great.
Dessert - Finishing off this decadent meal with a light dessert and a steaming cup of coffee would complete things perfectly. Try my lemon ricotta cake, mini tiramisu cups or chocolate dipped biscotti.
🍖 Ingredient notes
- Short Ribs - Short ribs are the short portion of the rib bone and the meat surrounding it. The meat is tougher, which makes it perfect for slow cooking and braising. Doing so gives it time to break down the connective tissue. Short ribs are also well marbled with fat. When slow cooked, they create a rich, indulgent flavor. Bone in short ribs will yield the best flavor; Boneless short ribs can also be used. If you get a good deal on short ribs, make sure to try my braised short ribs as well.
- Beef Stock - Homemade beef stock or broth will add richness and flavor to this sauce. I like to make mine in bulk and then freeze it for recipes like this. Use store-bought beef stock or beef broth, if needed. Make sure to get one that is low sodium and doesn't contain a lot of preservations, as this can affect the flavor of the sauce.
- Fresh Herbs - Use any fresh herbs that you have on hand or the pre-packaged bundles sold in the grocery store will work too. Fresh thyme, parsley, basil, or oregano would all be great. Simply gather the herbs together in a bundle and tie them up in a piece of cheesecloth with a piece of cooking twine.
- Wine - A dry red wine adds a nice rich and robust flavor to the beef short rib Ragù. If you prefer to not cook with wine, you can replace it with extra beef broth or stock. If you have leftover wine from this recipe that you don't want to drink, you can use it up to make mussels marinara or my Sunday Italian gravy recipe.
📋 Substitutions and variations
- Traditional - Instead of short ribs, you can make a more traditional Ragù with 1 pound of ground pork and 1 pound of ground beef.
- Dairy-Free - For a dairy-free version of this Ragù, you can omit the parmesan cheese and replace the heavy cream with unsweetened dairy-free alternative. Since the cream adds richness to the sauce, I would recommend full fat canned coconut milk, soy milk or oat milk.
- Gluten-Free - This Ragù sauce is naturally gluten-free, however, make sure to serve it with gluten-free pasta, zoodles or spaghetti squash.
🔪 Step by step instructions
First, pat the short ribs dry with paper towels and season them with kosher salt and black pepper. Heat a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat on the stove top with the olive oil.
Sear the short ribs in the pot so they are golden brown on all sides and then remove them and set them aside.
Next, add the onions, celery, and carrots to the pot. Saute them until they are softened. Add the minced garlic cloves and cook for another 30-60 seconds until it becomes fragrant.
Lastly, add the tomato paste and cook for another 30-60 seconds until everything is well combined.
Deglaze the pot by pouring in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits with a wooden spoon.
Add back the browned short ribs along with the herb bundle, crushed tomatoes, and beef stock. Make sure the meat is mostly covered with the braising liquid.
Cover and let the short ribs cook in the tomato sauce for 2-3 hours until they are tender and fall off the bone. Remove the herb bundle and the bones and shred the meat with two forks or kitchen tongs.
Simmer the shredded meat with the sauce for an additional 30-60 minutes until the sauce slightly reduces and thickens.
Stir in the heavy cream and serve over freshly cooked pappardelle pasta, sprinkled with parmesan cheese.
If you ever don't recognize a tool or skill that is mentioned, be sure to look it up in our Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information.
⭐ Expert tips
- Be sure to make this short rib Ragù in a heavy bottomed pot like my favorite enameled dutch oven. Since you need a good sear on those short ribs and since the sauce will be simmering for a long time, you want something solid to prevent burning.
- Bring the short ribs to room temperature and pat them dry before seasoning them to remove any excess moisture. This will help to create the best sear and flavoring.
- If the sauce is bubbling too much, lower the heat to medium-low. You want it to simmer gently, not rapidly.
- Remove the cover to reduce the beef short rib Ragù even further for a thicker consistency to your sauce.
- Add a little bit of cooking water from your pasta to the sauce for a richer consistency. This will also help the pasta stick to the sauce better.
🥘 Alternative cooking methods
Oven - Instead of letting this simmer on the stovetop, you can transfer it to a preheated 325˚ oven to cook after adding the tomatoes, broth, and herbs. Cooking time will be about the same as it is on the stovetop.
Slow Cooker - Sear the short ribs in a pan on the stovetop and then transfer them to a slow cooker. Saute the onions, carrots, and celery in the same pan, and then add the garlic and tomato paste. Deglaze the pan as directed, scraping the bottom of it to remove any stuck-on bits. Add this mixture to the slow cooker and then add in the fresh herbs, tomatoes, and beef broth. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours until tender.
⏲️ Make ahead and storage instructions
This Ragù makes approximately 8 cups of sauce so it is perfect to store for a easy meal later. Store the completely cooled sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or in a zip top bag in the freezer for 3 months.
Thaw frozen sauce completely in the refrigeator before heating it. Reheat in a pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat, while stirring occasionally, to prevent burning. Extra broth or cream can be added if needed.
💭 Frequently asked questions
Short ribs are a tougher cut of meat, so they require a moist heat cooking method and long cooking time. Braising them or cooking them in liquid will allow the connective tissues to break down and for the meat to become very tender.
If you short ribs are not coming off the bone easily or shredding easily, then they haven't been cooked long enough. They are need a low and slow cooking time in order to become tender and "fall off the bone".
A Ragù is typically a meat based sauce. A standard red sauce, marinara or spaghetti sauce is cooked without using meat.
🍝 More Sunday dinner recipes
If you loved this beef short rib Ragù recipe, then check out these other Sunday dinner recipes that I know you will love too!
- Sunday Pot Roast Dinner
- Italian Style Meatloaf with Marinara
- Authentic Italian Manicotti Recipe
- Cast Iron Chicken Pot Pie
Recipe
Beef Short Rib Ragù Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3-4 pounds beef short ribs, bone in
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup diced yellow onions, approximately 1 medium onion
- ½ cup diced carrots, approximately 1 medium carrot
- ½ cup diced celery, approximately 1-2 ribs of celery
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine, merlot, cabernet or pinot noir
- 1 fresh herb bundle, see note
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups beef stock, or beef broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- pappardelle pasta, for serving
- parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Heat a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot with the olive oil over medium heat on the stovetop.
- Pat the short ribs dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture and then season them on all sides with the salt and pepper.
- Sear the short ribs in the hot oil, working in batches if needed. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until browned and then remove them from the pot.
- Add the onions, carrots and celery to the pot and saute for 3-5 minutes until they start to soften.
- Add the garlic and cook, while stirring, for 30-60 seconds until it becomes fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 30-60 seconds until it begins to melt into the vegetables.
- Deglaze the pot by adding the red wine and scraping the bottom to release any stuck on bits.
- Add the short ribs back to the pot along with the herb bundle, crushed tomatoes and the beef broth.
- Cover the dutch oven with the lid and allow the short ribs to simmer for 2-3 hours until they are tender and fall off the bone. Make sure to check in on the ribs so they are mostly covered with the liquid.
- Remove the herb bundle and the bones from the pot and using two forks or kitchen tongs, shred the meat into smaller pieces.
- Stir the meat together with the sauce and let it simmer, uncovered, another 30-60 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened and reduced.
- During the last 15-20 minutes of cooking, boil the pasta and drain it, reserving ½ cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Stir the heavy cream and reserved pasta cooking water into the sauce and then serve over the freshly cooked pappardelle pasta, topped with grated parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- Herbs - Buy pre-packaged bundles sold at the grocery store, or a bundle a mixture of what you have on hand. Fresh thyme, parsley, basil, or oregano all work great.
- Short Ribs - Bring ribs to room temperature and pat them dry to get the best sear.
- Red Wine - Can be substituted with extra beef broth or stock.
- Dairy-Free - Omit the parmesan and replace the cream with unsweetened non-dairy alternative. Full fat canned coconut milk, oat milk or soy milk are recommended.
- Thick - Simmer the sauce uncovered to reduce it to an even thicker consistency.
- Oven - After covering the pot, move to a preheated 325˚ oven to cook for 2-3 hours until fork tender instead of simmering on the stovetop.
- Slow Cooker - Sear ribs in a pot on the stovetop and transfer to a crock pot. Saute the onions, carrots, and celery in the same pot, and then add the garlic and tomato paste. Deglaze the pan as directed and add this mixture to the slow cooker. Add in the fresh herbs, tomatoes, and beef broth. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours until tender.
- Make Ahead - Store cooled sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Frozen sauce should be thawed completely in the refrigerator and then re-heat in a pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Extra broth or cream can be added if needed.
Pam
This was delicious! Easy to make. I did skim the fat off when I took the short ribs out (before adding the meat back in), personal preference especially when short ribs tend to be fatty. Other than that, I followed it to the letter and everyone raved about it!
Amanda Scarlati
Thanks for trying this recipe Pam, I'm so glad everyone loved it!
Janie
Hi Amanda- I work full time and wanted to cut the prep time mid-week into three steps, if possible. Could I do everything up to deglazing step and adding red wine, then next day- adding the short ribs, etc, and simmer 2-3 hrs (shred meat and set aside). Then day of serving- last simmer with meat added? Some weeks I have the weekends to do this, but wanted to do this one sooner. If you have a better idea, or tell me it won’t be best that way- I’m all ears and would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you! .
Amanda
Hey Janie! Yes, you could definitely split it up. I would probably do it all the way up to adding the stock, etc. Then let it cool in the refrigerator (lid off). Then the next day, heat it back up to let them simmer and then shred. Then the next day, heat it back up to the last bit.
Rachel
I made this recipe for my family full of picky eaters. Everyone loved it! The ribs are so tasty in the sauce. It made very delicious leftovers the next day too. I used it over gluten-free pasta for me and regular pasta for everyone else. I will definitely be making this again!
Amanda
Hi Rachel! I'm so happy to hear that. Thanks so much for trying the recipe. I'm glad to hear it's become a favorite!