Beef Ragu Pasta
This flavorful and totally irresistible Beef Ragu Pasta is pure comfort food! It’s a cousin to boeuf bourguignon & perfect for a chilly night.
This Pot Roast Pasta is slow-cooked in the oven with a beef chuck roast, tomatoes, red wine, and aromatics to make a flavorful pasta sauce.
Why You Must Make
- When fall arrives, this hearty, filling, and delicious pasta makes the perfect dinner.
- It’s an excellent reason to crank up the oven and let the beef, veggies, and wine commingle and magically transform into a flavorful pasta topping.
- It’s a family-friendly recipe, but tasty enough for a casual dinner with friends.
Expert Tips
We are huge fans of Julia Child’s classic Boeuf Bourguignon or beef burgundy. This recipe utilizes many of the same ingredients, though without mushrooms or bacon. Also, instead of simmering beef chunks in a wine sauce, the chuck or pot roast is shredded and then combined with the penne pasta, veggies, and juices. This entree has become a family favorite and I put it on the menu at least once in the dead of winter.
- Use a chuck roast as it’s more flavorful than a leaner cut of beef. Just make sure to remove some of the excess fat when prepping and/or shredding the meat.
- Wine, like salt, is a flavor enhancer. It adds a lovely depth of flavor to the sauce. If you’re concerned about feeding this pasta to children due to the alcohol, most will evaporate during the cooking process.
- Cook your pasta in well-salted water; it should taste like the sea. This allows the salt to infuse into the pasta, which enhances the flavor of your noodles.
- Cook your pasta al dente, or “to the tooth.” It should offer a bit of resistance when biting, not overly soft. Often, the pasta box will offer the timing for al dente pasta.
Buy an extra chuck roast and make my Easy Pot Roast Recipe, too.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to Food and Wine Maganize, ragu is an Italian meat-based sauce often served with pasta. The typical ingredients are meat and vegetables with the occasional tomatoes.
Ragout, on the other hand, is a French slow-cooked stew, not a sauce, that can be made with meat, fish, and/or vegetables. Bolognese sauce is another example of a ragu.
Pot roasts are typically made with less expensive, less tender cuts of beef. When they are slowly braised, the tough connective tissue is broken down, making for tender and flavorful beef.
Chuck roasts work best as they slice and shred easily, but round roasts and brisket are also great choices and will both slice nicely after slow cooking.
Wine, just like salt, is a flavor enhancer. With the long cooking time, much of the alcohol will cook off/evaporate and leave a wonderful depth of flavor.
You May Also Like:
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Mushrooms
- Beef Chuck Roast
- Beef Stew with Red Wine and Carrots
- Grilled Korean Steaks
- Mushroom Topped Pepper Steaks
- More Beef Recipes
Beef Ragu Recipe with Pasta
A twist on the classic boeuf bourguignon in a pasta dish! Pure comfort.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3-pound chuck roast
- 1 ½ cups chopped onions
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 4 cloves garlic, slivered
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 can (28 ounces) plum tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ cup burgundy or another favorite red wine
- 1 pound penne pasta
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º.
- Heat the oil in a large pot with a lid (like a Dutch oven) over medium heat. Season beef with salt and pepper. Brown roast on all sides. Remove the meat from the pan, and set it aside.
- Add the onions, carrots, celery, and slivered garlic and sauté until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove the vegetables and set them aside.
- Return the pot roast to the pot and add the stock. Heat the meat and stock till the stock comes to a boil. Put the lid on the pot and place it in the oven for an hour.
- Remove the pot from the oven, and slice the meat into ¼-inch slices. Return the meat to the pot.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, minced garlic, pepper, salt, thyme, bay leaf, red wine, and reserved vegetables. Bring to a boil, transfer pot to the oven, and bake, covered, until the meat is very tender, about 1 ½ hours.
- Remove the meat and bay leaf from the pot, and allow to cool slightly. Shred the meat (removing any fatty areas) and return it to the pot. Mix to combine.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt, 1+ tablespoon. Add the pasta, and cook at a rolling boil until just tender. Drain. Toss the sauce with the hot pasta.
Notes
Adapted from The New Basics Cookbook.
Wine, like salt, is a flavor enhancer. Most of the alcohol will evaporate throughout the cooking time.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 774Total Fat: 43gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 188mgSodium: 550mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 63g
56 Comments on “Beef Ragu Pasta”
Definitely a great recipe for the cooler months, Liz. Love the fat pasta! : )
Ooh this looks so hearty and comforting!I love the flavors and would want a nice big plate all to myself 🙂
Not only does it look delicious but also filling with the pasta. My boys are eating me out of house and home and trust me they need more fillers!!!
Nice combination of cuisines…Looks very delicious! 🙂 ela
Looks absolutely drool-worthy, Liz.
Gallo’s Hearty Burgundy was a favorite around our house too Liz. I just love the whole concept of this dish. Hearty and filling, just what is needed to plow through this Wintery mess! Thanks for sharing Liz…wishing you heaps of warmth:)
What a beautiful dish! A hearty pasta to go with the Hearty Burgundy. Looks wonderful Liz!
What lovely flavours in this delicious dish 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Liz, I think you’d look cute in anything even if it’s lots of layer! Beef Burgundy does sound like the perfect warmer upper meal. We had snow too in NC but I won’t tell you what the temperature was here today. That might make you want to pack your bags and head south. I think your dear hubby might frown on that!
It’s been really cold where I am too and this hearty beef pasta sounds perfect Liz! Love the flavors in here and looks delicious!
That is a very unusual combination for pasta but I do understand your needing comfort food. The television is showing us terrible conditions over there. Stay warm – sounds like you are.
I have a pretty small comfort zone, too, and I’m having a hard time finding it this winter!
I love the look of this pasta – perfect for a cold day.
Lizzy,
This dish looks so hearty and delicious. Gallo wine is still a staple in my family.
I’m wearing long sleep turtle necks under thick fleece under a quilted buffalo plaid jacket with a hood and that’s indoors. We’ve had negative temps every night too. The two days I commuted to the office last week, it was -12 as I was leaving for work both days. Your temps must be even colder.
Annamaria
Amazing flavours… Love the presentation. 🙂
This is definitely some good comfort food for all the cold weather going on. Although I don’t eat beef, I KNOW that is the perfect pairing for this Hearty Burgundy wine!
mmmm I love how hearty and delish this pasta is!
What a great way to transform beef burgundy. I’d take a big bowl of this for dinner any night!
I’ve never made Boeuf Bourguignon, but I’ve heard and I know that Julia’s recipe is the way to go for that. But this pasta is ever so tempting. Great recipe, Liz!
Dear Lizzy, A beautiful Sunday supper. It will certainly warm the heart and soul.
Blessings dear. Catherine xo
One of my favorites!