Italian cuisine · Dough, Pasta & Rice

Pappardelle al Ragù di Manzo alla Toscana

Tuscan beef ragù, braised for hours in red wine with juniper, served over wide ribbon pasta.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 800 g beef stew meat (from the shoulder)
• 400 g pappardelle
• 500 ml red wine
• 400 g passata
• 2 carrots
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 6 juniper berries
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Cut the meat into 2 cm cubes and marinate overnight in the fridge with 250 ml red wine, the crushed juniper berries, one rosemary sprig and the bay leaves, then drain and pat dry.
2. Finely dice the carrots, celery, onion and garlic; heat 5 tbsp olive oil in a heavy braising pot until very hot.
3. Sear the meat cubes in batches for 4–5 min. all over until deep brown, remove, and sweat the vegetables in the fat over medium heat for 8 min. until soft.
4. Return the meat, deglaze with the remaining red wine and the strained marinade, reduce uncovered for 10 min., then add the passata and 200 ml water.
5. Braise covered over very low heat for 2–2.5 hrs., stirring every half hour, until the meat falls apart into shreds; remove the lid for the last 20 min. so the ragù thickens, and season with salt, pepper and the second rosemary sprig.
6. Cook the pappardelle al dente, toss part of the ragù with the pasta and 3 tbsp pasta water, and serve with the remaining ragù on top.