From Chef Alex Reyes

Recipe Serves: 4-6

A Note from Chef Reyes:

This slow cooked short rib ragout is a great weekend project. The time invested to make this dish is well worth it. One bite of the tender, melt-in-your-mouth short ribs will make you so happy you’ll want to make it every weekend. You can also pair this rich and hearty ragout with olive oil potato puree or parmesan polenta. Either way, this ragout is the perfect comfort food!

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 pounds beef short ribs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 medium Spanish onion, small diced
• 1 large carrot, small diced
• 2 ribs celery, small diced
• 4 garlic cloves
• 5 sprigs thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 cup rioja red wine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 14-ounce can San Marzano tomato sauce
• 1 pound garganelli pasta
• 2 tablespoons organic butter
• ½ cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
• ½ cup freshly shaved pecorino cheese

Recipe Instructions

1. Place the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour. Add the short ribs to the pot and brown on all sides, 8-10 minutes. Remove the short ribs from the pot and set aside.
2. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, bay leaves and rosemary and cook for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are caramelized.
3. Add the wine and scrape the dark spots from the bottom of the pot. Add the tomato paste. Return the short ribs to the pot and add the beef broth and tomato sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 2 hours.
4. Remove the lid and cook for about 45 minutes, carefully stirring occasionally. Remove the meat and bones from the pot. Discard the bones. Using a fork shred the meat and return it to the pot. Check for seasoning.
5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and season with salt. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite (al dente), stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes. Drain the pasta and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta liquid.
6. Add the pasta and the butter to the beef ragout and stir to combine. If the mixture is too thick add a little bit of the reserved pasta liquid to thin it out.
7. Transfer to serving bowls, top each with the parsley leaves and pecorino cheese. Serve immediately.