The Ultimate Slowly Simmered Italian Comfort Food—Braised Short Rib Ragu!
As a true Italian food lover, ragu holds a special place in my heart.
I first fell head-over-heels for ragu while working at a fine dining Italian restaurant in Milwaukee. I begged the chefs to teach me how to make our ragu della casa, served with hand-cut pappardelle, so I could replicate it at home. Fast forward 10+ years, and I still can’t get enough ragu – in fact, it’s one of my specialties!
We’ve shared a number of different well-loved ragu recipes here on PWWB, but today’s is probably my favorite. In my opinion, Braised Beef Short Rib Ragu is the ultimate ragu and this recipe has been tested and perfected over the years to yield irresistible flavor.
The secret lies in developing a rich base of flavor for the sauce by taking the time to 1) sear the short ribs and 2) deeply brown the soffritto veggies on the stovetop for up to 20 to 35 minutes! This step coaxes out all the flavor of the veggies yielding a rich braising liquid.
The tender beef short ribs then braise slowly with the vegetables, aromatic herbs, tomatoes, and a splash of red wine until their fall-apart tender and infused with rich, savory flavor. This hands-off process creates a special home-cooked sauce that’s perfect for tossing with pappardelle and a generous sprinkle of parmesan.
It’s cozy enough for a weekend dinner yet special enough for date nights, Christmas, or Valentine’s Day. Italian comfort food doesn’t get better than this!
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First Thing’s First—What is Ragu?
Ragu is a term used to describe a rich, slowly simmered Italian meat sauce traditionally served with pasta, gnocchi, or polenta. (I’m willing to bet you’re already familiar with one of the most famous ragu sauces, Ragu alla Bolognese!)
Since ragu is meant to showcase a specific meat, it’s a bit more stew-like than other famous Italian pasta sauces like marinara. While you can prepare ragu sauce using many types of meat (or meaty vegetables, like mushrooms), the common thread is that ragu is always super hearty with rich, bold flavor.
Key Ingredients
Like the best Italian dishes, this short rib ragu recipe is all about coaxing big, bold flavor out of relatively humble ingredients, most of which you likely keep stocked in your pantry or fridge.
Beef Short Ribs
If beef short ribs are a new-to-you ingredient, you’re in for such a treat!
There are 2 common cuts of beef short ribs: flanken beef short ribs (long strips cut across the bone) and English-cut beef short ribs (hearty pieces cut along the bone). While flanken short ribs are great for quick-cooking methods, like grilling, English-cut short ribs are a tougher cut. They benefit from cooking low and slow to break down all of the connective tissue in the meat which makes the beef totally fall-apart tender. As such, you’ll often see them in braised dishes, like this beef short rib ragu!
Short Ribs Shopping Tips!
You can find English-cut beef short ribs at most conventional grocery stores with a nice butcher section. Be sure to look for meaty short ribs with nice marbling for maximum flavor. If you can’t find beef short ribs, you can make this ragu recipe using beef chuck roast.
Other key ingredients…
- Soffritto – The Italian holy trinity of onion, carrot, and celery. I like chopping my soffritto by hand for bigger, chunkier pieces of veggies in my ragu sauce, but you can also grate the veggies in a food processor to cut down on active prep time.
- Aromatics – A generous amount of aromatics helps build a boldly flavored sauce. This short rib ragu recipe calls for tons of garlic and loads of fresh herbs like rosemary, sage, and thyme. The secret ingredient, though, is a parmesan rind, which is a great freezer staple for fall and winter cooking since you can use it to infuse sauces and soups with rich umami flavor.
- Tomatoes – The perfect combination of petite diced San Marzano-style tomatoes, which add flavor and body to the short rib ragu, and tomato paste for its concentrated flavor. DeLallo’s tomato paste tube is my absolute favorite. It’s double concentrated, packing an even bigger punch of flavor.
- Wine – A bold red wine stands up to the rich flavor of the beef short ribs. I always like cooking with Italian wine when I make ragu – Chianti is a great option for this recipe.
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Cooking this braised short rib ragu is a pretty straightforward process consisting of 3 main steps: browning, deglazing, and simmering.
The process is time-intensive, since the goal is to tenderize a tough cut of meat and pull big flavors out of relatively simple ingredients, but it’s almost entirely hands off!
Coat a large, heavy-bottomed pot with olive oil. Pat the short ribs completely dry with paper towels, and season them well with salt and ground black pepper. Once the oil is hot, add the short ribs to the pot and take your time to sear the short ribs for a few minutes per side, until they’re deeply golden brown. Then remove and set aside. Why? ⇢ Browning leaves browned bits (or fond being the technical French term) on the bottom of the pan, which creates the base flavor upon which the rest of the short rib ragu is built.
Add the carrots, celery, and onion – to the same pot used to brown the short ribs. Cook until deeply browned – borderline caramelized! Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook another 5 minutes, until deeply fragrant. In total, this process should take no less than 20-25 minutes – we’re after deep color and flavor, here! Why? ⇢ Again, the soffritto and tomato paste leave browned bits on the bottom of the pot, which translates to big flavor in the braising liquid. Take your time and resist the urge to speed this step up – the results are worth it!
Deglaze the pot by slowly pouring in the red wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits developed on the bottom of the pan by browning the short ribs and soffritto veggies. Why? ⇢ The wine simmers immediately upon hitting the hot pot, creating steam that releases the browned bits that developed on the bottom. Again, this fond is where all of the flavor is, so you want to scrape it up to incorporate it into the short rib sauce. Then add in the remaining ingredients to build the sauce: fresh herbs, bay leaves, the parmesan rind, tomatoes, and a little beef stock!
Quick Braising Tip! ⇢ Rather than taking the time to chop all the herbs, use kitchen twine to tie them together whole. The herbs infuse all of their flavor into the braised short rib ragu and the twine makes it easy to remove them all at once before serving.
Nestle the browned short ribs into the braising liquid, bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cover the pot and let it cook until the short ribs are fall-apart tender. The braising process will take 2 ½ – 3 hours to break down all of the connective tissue and tenderize the meat. Have patience and your kitchen will be sure to smell like absolute Italian comfort food heaven.
Alternate Cooking Methods
While stovetop braising is our method of choice, you can easily adapt this braised short rib ragu for a few different cooking methods. Check the Recipe Notes, below, for step-by-step guidance on cooking your ragu in the oven, slow cooker, or Instant Pot.
Serving Suggestions: How to Make Short Rib Ragu Pasta
Once the ragu sauce is simmered to perfection and the beef short ribs are fall-apart tender, it’s time for the best part of making short rib ragu at home—serving it!
I love tossing together braised short rib ragu with pappardelle, a traditional wide-cut egg pasta.
If you prefer short pasta, choose a shape that will capture bits and pieces of the hearty beef short rib ragu for even more delicious bites of pasta. Rigatoni is my all-time favorite, though orecchiette, shellbows, or casarecce with short rib ragu are also great!
Cook your pasta to al dente in generously salted water. Before draining, carefully dip a liquid measuring cup into the pot to reserve some of the starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta, but do NOT rinse it. Why? ⇢ Rinsing washes the starches off the surface of the pasta, preventing it from absorbing and clinging to the braised short rib ragu sauce.
Meanwhile, stir a little bit of heavy cream and grated parmesan into the ragu. Simmer 1-2 minutes, allowing everything to meld together. Why? ⇢ Cream adds beautiful richness to the ragu. Grated parmesan adds extra flavor and helps tighten up the sauce.
The #1 mistake I see home cooks make when preparing a pasta dish is simply plopping a spoonful of sausage ragu sauce on a plate of cooked pasta. Please don’t do this! For restaurant-worthy results, always simmer your al dente pasta with the ragu sauce before serving. To learn more, check out my complete guide for How to Cook Pasta Perfectly Every Single Time.
Add the cooked pasta straight into the simmering ragu, tossing to combine well. Adjust as needed so the ragu coats the pasta evenly. If it’s too thick, toss in some of the reserved pasta water; if the mixture is too loose, toss in an extra handful of parmesan. Cook for a couple minutes more, allowing the pasta to meld with and absorb some of the sauce.
Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing
Short rib ragu stores super well—in fact, its flavors develop and get even better the longer it sits! Feel free to prep a batch of sauce ahead of time. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Check the Recipe Notes, below, for step-by-step guidance!
I cannot wait for you to try this Short Rib Ragu! If you do, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! Happy cooking! ♡
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Slowly Braised Beef Short Rib Ragu
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 10–12 1x
- Category: Pasta Recipes, Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop, Braise
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Beef short ribs slowly braise until fall-apart tender with simple vegetables, fresh herbs, tomatoes, and red wine, creating a hearty, and boldly flavored ragu. Toss it into pappardelle or any pasta you love or serve it atop polenta or gnocchi. Slowly Braised Short Rib Ragu is the ultimate Italian comfort food meal!
Check the Recipe Notes, below, for Oven-Braised, Slow Cooker and Instant Pot directions, as well as make-ahead and freezing instructions.
Ingredients
for the Slowly Braised Short Rib Ragu sauce:
- 4 pounds English cut beef short ribs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine
- one (1) 0.75-ounce package fresh “poultry herb blend” (or approx. 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, 4 sprigs fresh sage leaves and 12 sprigs fresh thyme)
- 2 bay leaves
- optional: 1 parmesan rind
- 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth/stock or water
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
for Short Rib Ragu pasta:
- 24 ounces pappardelle or pasta of choice, such as casarecce, bucatini, or gnocchi
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- for serving, as desired: grated parmesan, finely chopped fresh herbs, etc.
Instructions
Braised Short Rib Ragu Sauce:
- Brown the short ribs: Add the olive oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot (I use a 5-qt Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Use paper towel to pat the surface of the beef short ribs as dry as possible. Generously season the short ribs with 1 heaping tablespoon kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Once the oil in the pot is shimmering hot, carefully add in the seasoned short ribs. Work in batches, as necessary, to avoid overcrowding the pot (which prevents browning). Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Transfer the browned short ribs to a plate and set aside. Repeat, as necessary, with the remaining short ribs. Once all of the short ribs are browned, carefully drain off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from the pot. Set aside and discard once cooled. Returning the pot to medium heat.
- Brown the soffritto: Add the soffritto (carrots, onion, and celery) to the same pot used to brown the short ribs, seasoning with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Stir to combine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the soffritto is deeply browned, 15-20 minutes.
- Add aromatics. Add the garlic to the pot with the soffritto. Stirring constantly, cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato paste to the pot, stirring to coat the soffritto. Cook 2-3 minutes, until browned.
- Deglaze: Increasing the heat to medium-high, pour the red wine into the pot. Stir constantly, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that may have formed at the bottom of the pot. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the wine is almost completely absorbed into the soffritto.
- Build and simmer the short rib ragu: Tie the herbs together using kitchen twine (or finely chop if you do not have twine), then add to the pot with the bay leaves and parmesan rind (if using). Add the crushed tomatoes, beef broth/stock (or water), and browned short ribs from Step 1. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 1/2 – 3 hours, or until the short ribs are fall-apart tender. If the ragu begins to reduce too much (i.e. it loses too much of its liquid too quickly), feel free to add in a splash more water and/or reduce the heat further.
- Finish the braised short rib ragu: Carefully transfer the short ribs to a plate or cutting board. At this point, you can remove and discard the spent herbs, bay leaves, and parmesan rind from the pot, as well. Use tongs or 2 forks to shred the short ribs into bite-sized pieces, discarding the bones as you go. Return the shredded short ribs to the pot with the ragu. Stir to combine. At this point, you can cool and store for later use (see Recipe Notes for storage and freezing directions), or proceed with making the short rib ragu pasta (below).
Short Rib Ragu Pasta:
- Boil the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked to al dente according to package directions. Carefully dip a liquid measuring cup into the pot, reserving about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, and set aside. Carefully drain the pasta – do NOT rinse it!
- Finish the short rib ragu sauce: Meanwhile, as the pasta boils, bring the braised short rib ragu up to a simmer. Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Continue to simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Short rib ragu pappardelle: Add the cooked pasta to the pot with the braised short rib ragu sauce, tossing to coat. The short rib ragu should evenly coat the pasta. Add in some of the reserved pasta water if the ragu needs to loosen up a little; add in an extra handful of parmesan if it needs to tighten up a little. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, allowing the pasta to meld with and absorb some of the ragu.
- Serve: Portion the short rib ragu pappardelle into individual pasta bowls, topping with additional grated parmesan, chopped fresh herbs, and/or crushed red pepper as desired. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
Make-Ahead, Storage and Freezing:
- Storage Instructions: Beef short rib ragu sauce stores incredibly well – it’s the type of thing that gets even better as it sits and its flavors have the chance to meld together. To store, prep the sauce through Step 6 of Recipe Directions, above. Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Whip up a batch of short rib ragu pasta during the week by reheating the braised short rib ragu in a skillet, and completing the recipe according to “Short Rib Ragu Pasta” Steps 1-4, above.
- Freezing Instructions: Short rib ragu is also incredibly freezer-friendly. To freeze, transfer the cooled short rib ragu sauce to a freezer container (or divide it up between multiple freezer containers for smaller portions). Freeze up to 3 months. To thaw, place the frozen ragu in the refrigerator overnight or submerge the freezer container in room temperature water for a quicker thaw. Reheat the ragu sauce in a skillet. If the thawed ragu sauce is a little watery at first, simply allow any residual water simmer out. If the thawed ragu sauce is too thick, simply add in a splash of water or stock until your desired consistency is reached. Complete the recipe according to “Short Rib Ragu Pasta” Steps 1-4, above
Alternate Cooking Methods:
- Oven Braised Beef Short Rib Ragu: Prep the recipe according to Steps 1-5, above. Rather than braising on the stovetop, transfer the covered pot to a 325 degree F oven. Braise in the oven for 2 ½ – 3 hours, until the beef short ribs are fall-apart tender, then finish the short rib ragu sauce as directed in Step 6 and complete the recipe according to “Short Rib Ragu Pasta” Steps 2-4.
- Crock Pot / Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu: Prep the recipe according to Steps 1-4, above. Transfer the soffritto mixture to the slow cooker, along with the aromatics, tomatoes, broth/stock (or water), and browned beef short ribs as directed in Step 5. Slow cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours, stirring occasionally. Finish the short rib ragu sauce as directed in Step 6 and complete the recipe according to “Short Rib Ragu Ragu Pasta” Steps 2-4, which you can do right in your slow cooker. If your slow cooker has a searing/browning feature, you can use it to cook the entire short rib ragu sauce recipe (Steps 1-6) in the slow cooker.
- Electric Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Short Rib Ragu: Use your Instant Pot’s “Sauté” setting to cook the recipe according to Steps 1-5, above. Cover and seal the pressure cooker and cook on manual high pressure for 50 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes before carefully flicking the valve to its “venting” position to vent out any residual pressure. If the ragu seems a little too liquidy, feel free to turn on the Sauté setting again, letting the sauce simmer down a little before finishing as directed in Steps 6. Complete the recipe according to “Short Rib Ragu Pasta” Steps 2-4, which you can do right in your pressure cooker pot.
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When I want to spoil my family with a delicious meal, I often think of this one. I use my dutch oven and throw in it the oven. I have it in there 4 hours or so at 250 convection. The meat is so tender and SO good. I serve with a salad and garlic bread. Thanks so much for the recipe! It’s one of my absolute favorites!
LOVE that you use this recipe to show love to your family, Kim! That’s our favorite way to share food 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Quite literally the best meal I’ve ever made, and I think I’m a pretty good cook! I made this for a retirement dinner party and everybody was floored with how incredible this came out. I made it exactly as it’s written and put the Ragu over pappardelle pasta. I’m thinking I will make it into a lasagna at Christmas. Amazing!
Short rib lasagna sounds absolutely incredible, Danielle! Thrilled to hear it was a hit at the party, and thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Simply the best! Made this to get out of my cooking rut and I am now so inspired. My husband said it’s easily top 3 meals I’ve ever made, promptly requested it for Christmas dinner this year. It felt easy to make but full of so much depth and aromatic flavors. Going into the regular rotation!
So glad we were able to help you out of a cooking rut, Kristen!! Thrilled to hear that you and your husband enjoyed the ragu!
I made this today and OMG so good! Great great recipe. I used boneless Waygu short ribs bc thats what was available 🤌🏻Yum!
Waygu short ribs sound perfect for this ragu, Laraine! So glad you enjoyed!
Excellent recipe! My son made this recipe and now I’m making it. It’s a time consuming recipe but definitely worth all the time and effort put into it.
Definitely agree that it’s totally worth the effort, Vicky! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed!
I cook a lot. I need you to understand, my family is picky. I made this for dinner tonight and everyone loved it. My husband said it is the best meal he’s ever had!
A recipe being popular with picky eaters is the highest form of praise!! So happy to hear your family loved the ragu, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Why is it that every single time I make short ribs with the reds regular or for a Ragu? My sauce is super oily and fatty to the point where I would need to use a fat separator but no recipe ever talks about this. I do not get overly fatty short ribs and I even cut off a lot of the fat.
Hi Lindsay, beef short ribs are definitely rich, but we don’t typically have an issue with an excessive amount of oil. Did you use English-cut ribs for this recipe?
Always comes out delicious! I make this recipe about once a month and it’s always a crowd pleaser!
So happy to hear that, Gerrita! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review.
Hello! I accidentally purchased boneless beef short ribs. 🥲 Could this recipe still work with that cut of meat?
It should work just fine, Katie! Make sure to let us know it turns out for you 🙂
Fantastic! The depth of flavor was incredible. My store didn’t have pappardelle so I went with farfalle, but it didn’t matter because my wife said it was the best pasta dish Ive ever made. Followed the recipe to a T and made it in my instant pot. 5 stars!
Thank you so much for the rave review, Steve! So happy that you both enjoyed the ragu!
Where is the instruction to debone and shred?
You’ll find those instructions in step 6, Lori! 🙂 Hope you have a chance to make the ragu soon!
Just made this tonight. I followed the recipe exactly. I did try it before I put the cream and cheese in. Thought it was fine. After the cream and cheese, it was fantastic. Everyone went back for seconds
The cream and cheese really does take it to the next level! So glad everyone enjoyed the ragu, Liz!
This recipe is DELICIOUS. I love a long day in the kitchen and this was worth every step. I have a lot left over, and it is already combined with the pasta–how would you recommend storing it? Could I freeze it that way? What would you recommend? Thanks!
Hey Tammy, we usually recommend freezing a portion of the sauce separately, since freezing the finished pasta (especially with cream added) can result in a mushy texture when reheated. You’re definitely still welcome to try freezing it, it’ll still taste good regardless! Otherwise our go-to for leftovers we can’t use up quickly enough is to share with a friend! 🙂
I’ve made this recipe twice and it’s one of my all-time favorites. I wouldn’t change a thing. So good as leftovers, too.
So happy to hear that, Christie! We love the leftovers, too 🙂 Thanks for leaving a review!
While I loved the dish two comments. 25 min prep time is vastly understated, took me over 75 min to get to Step 6 where you cook it, worth the time just saying folks should know it takes time. Two I skimmed almost a cup of fat off the finished ragu before I added the noodles. I would recommend that for this very very fatty dish.
Hi Craig, cooking times can definitely vary, but the ragu is always worth the extra prep time! So glad you enjoyed the dish, thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
You are correct. However, I have found that no recipe includes the prep of the raw materials / ingredients in the actual prep time for the recipes. I always prep the chopped vegetables in small bowls a day ahead. It makes a big difference on ‘cooking day’. And I’ve learned to never grocery shop on ‘cook day’; that leaves me too exhausted to truly enjoy my efforts. This dish is a ‘labor of love’ for sure.
We couldn’t agree more, Mia! Prepping a bit ahead of time is super helpful 🙂
This recipe may be the best thing I have ever had! Seriously. I went heavy on the herbs (didn’t have sage) and it’s amazing. I made sure to add the Parmesan rind too. I haven’t even had it on the pasta yet. I just made the meat/sauce ahead of time and am blown away! This is such a great “do-ahead” recipe and as a single person will be eating on it all week! 👏👏👏
So glad you love the ragu as much as we do, Mary! It’s such a great make-ahead recipe, enjoy your week of delicious meals!
Hi!! I’m planning on making this recipe for my sister’s 30th birthday, there will be 10 of us! The recipe calls for 4 pounds of short rib, but when I click the ‘1x’ button, it changes to 2.5 pounds of short rib. Can you confirm the correct amount? Thanks so much and can’t wait to make this after reading through the comments!!
Hi Erin, I’m not sure why that’s happening when you click the 1x button – I will look into that! No need to click that button, the recipe as written is 1x 🙂 4 pounds is the correct amount! Can’t wait to hear what you and your sister think of the ragu!
Hello! Does the 1x portion still feed 10 portions? I only have 1kg of short rib and need to feed four
Hi Alex, yes, this recipe makes enough to feed 10-12. Hope that helps!
My husband went back for a giant second portion and my 5 year old loudly proclaimed it “the best dinner ever!”. Really well written and easy to follow recipe. I’m very much a beginner cook so I’m thrilled with how it turned out.
We love when a recipe is a hit with the whole family! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, Danielle!
I love this recipe. I’ve made it several times and it always turns out delicious and a crowd pleasure. If I wanted to make a smaller batch (I’ve already recently frozen some!) could I simply cut it in half? Or will that affect the sauciness of it?
Hi Rebecca, so happy to hear that this ragu is a favorite of yours! You can definitely halve the recipe, you’ll just want to be sure to keep an eye on the cooking time and adjust as needed 🙂
Tonight was my first time making this, and it was a major success! I don’t like cooking with alcohol, so I substituted the wine with beef stock, and I also added a splash of red wine vinegar and a spoonful of sugar (not sure if the vinegar and sugar made a material difference, but it didn’t seem to hurt!). I also liked the tip of tying the herbs with twine and then removing the bouquet of herbs at the end–so convenient. I made this with rigatoni pasta since I didn’t have enough pappardelle, and that seemed to work. I am glad I diced the veggies super small and spent plenty of time getting them soft and carmelized-ish; seemed to make a big difference.
Will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
So glad to hear that the ragu turned out great for you, Megan! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! 🙂
This recipe is delish but I have made it several times and it has taken braising for 4 hours to get the meat fall off the bone tender. But, , totally worth the time!
The braising time can definitely vary, but we’re so glad to hear that you enjoy this ragu as much as we do, B!
It’s a ragout, a stew, not a ragu, a sauce. Other than that, it’s great. Short Ribs Ragout is the kind of dish that makes all of us chefs look like seasoned pros. Nicely done!
Glad you enjoyed it, Brian!
Can you make with boneless short ribs?
Hi Heather, while we prefer bone-in ribs, you can definitely substitute boneless short ribs in this recipe. You’ll just need to adjust the cooking time accordingly, since they’ll likely cook more quickly, resulting in a shorter braising time.
Deliciously amazing flavours with wonderful depth. It’s a lot of work, but 1000% worth it for the deliciousness and richness in flavour you achieve.
Due to dairy allergies, I omitted the heavy cream and parmesan cheese from my preparation. The ragu sauce is rich, luscious and amazingly meaty. I will definitely be making this again, possibly using my Instant Pot. But all the work required for the stove-top preparation was fully worth it.
We couldn’t agree more, Allison – this ragu is totally worth the extra effort! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!
I just made this for my family today and it was amazing!!! I did not have sage or fresh rosemary and thyme but I used dry rosemary, thyme, and oregano in addition to the bay leaf’s. I also added a little bit of basil paste and since I didn’t have heavy cream I used ricotta. It turned out so good!!!
Thanks for the kind review, Christina! So happy to hear those substitutions worked well for you! 🙂
Hello,
I am wondering if I can substitute the wine for beef stock. How will this affect the flavor? Or maybe should I add a tbs of vinegar also to replicate the acidity the wine has? Thanks!
Hi Kate, while wine is always our first choice for this recipe, you can definitely substitute the wine for beef stock! 🙂
I’m making this for Sunday dinner. The recipe says 14 ounces of crushed tomatoes, but the picture has a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes. Which one should I use?
Hi Gillian, the recipe calls for 14 ounces of crushed tomatoes – you won’t use a full 28 ounce can. 28oz just happens to be the most common size of canned crushed tomatoes. Hope your ragu turned out amazing! 🙂
Tried this for the first time when guests were coming (I do that often – it’s about as risky as I get!). This was fabulous – everyone loved it.
I have one question though – I make my own pasta (got a pasta maker for my Kitchenaid for Christmas last year). Do I really need to boil the pasta first? Since the ragu is practically boiling, I thought about just stirring the freshly made pasta into it, but didn’t want to risk a failure since company was coming. Thoughts?
Hi Joel, so glad you and your guests loved the ragu! Love the boldness of trying a new recipe for guests, thanks for trusting us! 🙂 As far as the fresh pasta goes, we do not recommend cooking the pasta in the ragu – it’ll change the texture of the pasta and the sauce, and it’s an easy way to ruin the sauce you’ve been working so hard on!! Taking a few minutes to boil the noodles first before finishing in the sauce is totally worth it. You can find more tips on homemade pasta HERE! Thanks again for taking the time to leave a review!
holy shirt balls this was good!! Made this 3 nights ago and still thinking about it. Seriously, it’s so good & so easy. Already dreaming of making it again. Also, for anyone who happens to have Flanken cut instead of English cut on hand, it worked perfectly well. Just more bones to pick out , and slightly less cook time but to quote my 4 yr old, I give this “7 million infinity stars”
7 million infinity stars?! Thanks so much, Lauren! So glad it turned out great for you! 🙂
The recipe looks wonderful, but I was hoping to prepare it for a date night and it seems like an awful lot for two. Might be a silly question but if I wanted to make just half of it, is it as simple as cutting the measurements in half? Or do some of the ingredients need to be incorporated fully to get the full effect?
Hi David, this ragu would be perfect for a date night!! You could always make a full batch and freeze some for later! It reheats beautifully and we love having a quick, DELICIOUS meal in our back pocket! You’re also more than welcome to halve the recipe. You’ll want to keep an eye on the short ribs, since the cooking time will likely be shorter, but otherwise it should work great! 🙂 Can’t wait to hear what you (and your date!) think!
I’m making this now and the meat is not falling off at the bones at 2.5 hours. Has anyone else had to cook this longer?
Cooking time can definitely vary – 2.5-3 hours is usually the right braising time, but it can definitely take a bit longer. Hope it ended up turning out great for you!
I look forward to making this! If I make in the oven- do I need to cover my dish or leave it uncovered? Would a Dutch oven be ok?
Hi Grace, the pot should be covered for braising, and a Dutch oven will work great! 🙂
I’ve made this about a dozen times. Love this receipe. Great for a dinner party or for freezing in portions for an easy week day dinner!
Love to hear it’s a repeat recipe for you, Jacqui! We love freezing it for later, too! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
I’m making this sometime this week for sure. Is the cream absolutely necessary? Can I use something else, or omit it?
Hi Sophia, we definitely feel that the cream is necessary for adding richness and finishing the sauce for serving. If you can’t tolerate dairy, a plant-based cream substitute could work here. Of course, you’re welcome to try the sauce without cream, too. Hope you enjoy!
Everything blended SO well together! and it was finished very quickly by my family over the weekend! My issue (which was my fault!) was not shredding the short rib as much towards the end but I definitely learned for next time! Thank you for sharing 🙂
So glad you enjoyed it, Nan! It’s one of our favorites 🙂
Serves 10-12… how many people does this recipe feed? Would it be enough for a dinner for 6 or should I double the recipe?
It feeds 10-12 people, so one batch will be plenty for a dinner for 6! 🙂
I loved this recipe, made it in my ninja slow cooker the day before I served it. I used pappardelle pasta,loved it! I will definitely make again!
Hi Patricia, so happy to hear the Ragu turned out great for you! Pappardelle is the perfect pasta for it 🙂
I’m looking forward to making this for a girls dinner this Friday!! Any suggestions on sides?? I was going to do a salad and bread. What else????
A nice salad & a good, crusty bread sound perfect! Don’t forget red wine! 🙂
This looks so amazing, I can hardly stand waiting to try it! I’ve made ragu with flank steak before, but never with short ribs. This looks totally restaurant-quality!
It’s seriously SO good, Kim!! Hope you have a chance to give it a try soon! 🙂
I’ve made this before with the short ribs. My local market is out however and need to make for a party. Would chuck roast work as a sub ?
Hey Lauren! Yes, chuck roast works beautifully as a sub for short ribs. I’d suggest checking out my Beef Ragu recipe, which is very similar to the short rib ragu recipe but its directions are specific to chuck roast.
Hope this helps!
Jess
Hi! I’m making the ragu for dinner, but it’s taking forever for the vegetables to brown. Is that normal? Thank you!
Hi Lisa, it can definitely take a bit for the veggies to brown!! How did the ragu turn out for you? We hope you loved it!
Is it a “stalk” of celery which is the whole thing that you buy at the store, or is it a “rib” which is just one long piece from the stalk? Your recipe says a stalk, but the amount you put in the pot in your video looks like much less.
Hi Dallas – Use just one individual piece/”rib”, not the whole bunch of celery. Hope this helps!
I made a double batch of this for dinner tonight, because I want extra to give to my Mom & my in laws, and it was super tasty. It wasn’t very thick though and I’m wondering if the recipe calculation should not have doubled the liquids? Or if I needed to cook it a whole lot longer than 3 1/2 hours? I served it, and the pasta absorbed it and it was really good. But I’m kind of hoping the rest of the sauce will thicken as it sits in the fridge. Or maybe I just need to simmer it down even more. Do you have any tips for next time? Thanks!
Hi Tina, we’re happy that you enjoyed the flavors of this Ragu, and sorry to hear it wasn’t as thick as you’d like! We always recommend finishing your Ragu on the stovetop with heavy cream, parmesan and pasta so everything can meld together – if the sauce is too thin, we add more parmesan, and if it’s too thick, we add pasta water to loosen it up. This is a great way to adjust the thickness of your sauce! Hopefully that helps!
I constantly make recipes from food blogs and I NEVER leave comments(let’s face it, all y’all have it pretty well covered) but this dish was the best thing I’ve ever eaten, hands down, nothing even comes close to touching this recipe. My husband and I both said it’s officially our favorite recipe I’ve ever made and he’s requested again for his birthday next month. I made it for company and everyone had seconds. The depth of flavor was amazing. Does it take awhile to make? Yes. Do you have to be patient? Yes. Is it really worth following every tip and step in the recipe thoroughly? 100%
Make it, go right now to the store, get your ingredients and make this recipe.
This is the absolute biggest compliment we could receive! Thank you SO much for your review, Rachelle, and we’re so happy to hear that you all loved this Ragu as much as we do! 🙂
I have come back to the recipe at least 6 times now!! Absolutely love it. The best ragu. Although make sure to account for a good amount of time for the searing/cooking the veggies!! I always leave myself not enough time and am rushing the braising.
We definitely recommend giving yourself plenty of time for this ragu, Mikayla! So happy to hear it’s become a repeat recipe for you 🙂
The. Best. Ragu.!!! My husband makes this recipe and it’s my favorite. I’m always happy when there are leftovers 🤤.
Leftovers are seriously the BEST, we couldn’t agree more! Thanks so much for the kind review, Danielle!
This was incredible. I made this a day ahead and served it with pappardelle for Christmas dinner! I really recommend making it in advance, as the flavours developed a lot overnight.
Hi Renee, we totally agree, making the sauce ahead of time makes serving easier AND makes the Ragu taste even better! Happy you enjoyed it, and hope you had a great Christmas! 🙂
Hi! I’m going to make this for my husbands Italian family and I want to be sure it is enough. There is 10 of us, I plan to have some meats and cheese appetizers as well.
Hi Justine, this will definitely feed a crowd, especially with appetizers and such!! Hope you enjoy, make sure to let us know what you think! 🙂
Well, Jess, I made this for Christmas dinner and it was a HUGE hit! The whole family LOVED it and asked for it again for next year! It was tender, it was succulent, it was amazingly flavorful! Thank you so very much for such a wonderful recipe! This was a 15 out of 10!
15/10 is SUCH high praise! Thanks so much, Deb, glad you and your family enjoyed it!!
My daughter loves Sunday sauce! I tried this recipe for the first time. I opted for the oven method. Unfortunately, the short ribs were still very tough. I ended up putting the ribs with some sauce into my Instapot using the pressure cooker setting for 1 hour and then they fell apart. I’m not opposed to the extra work but could not serve it on the day I wanted because it wasn’t ready. But it will make a fabulous Christmas Day dinner and I will freeze some as well! I also added sun dried tomatoes to give the sauce a deeper flavor. Fabulous!!
Hi Andie, sorry to hear the ribs took longer to cook than expected! Cooking times can definitely vary based on the size of your short ribs and your specific oven. Happy that it turned out great for you in the end, though, and we totally agree that this is a great Christmas dinner! 🙂
🤞making this for Christmas dinner. It looks decadent and delicious! My family LOVES anything Italian so…
This Ragu is an awesome choice for Christmas dinner! Hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we do!
This was a gorgeous pasta. All the detail just made such a flavorful dish. Usually I get to the end and have to adjust the seasonings.. I surprised myself because it was absolutely perfect the first taste.
It tastes like a fancy restaurant made it. But it was me! Thank you! Absolutely delicious!
Hi Shelby, restaurant quality at home is exactly what we were going for with this recipe!! So glad to hear it turned out great for you! 🙂
This was seriously amazing. Crazy easy to make and I could drink the sauce. Thank you for an easy and delicious dish!!! Test drive was today – will be serving for the holidays for sure. I’ve made a lot of short ribs but the flavor on this recipe was insane!
Hi Lori, we’re so glad to hear you loved this ragu as much as we do! It’s definitely the perfect meal for special holiday celebrations 🙂