Jamie Oliver's Pappardelle with Beef Ragu
This pappardelle with beef ragu is essentially a braised beef sauce that can be made on the stovetop or, better yet, in the slow cooker. If your want to use beef, I suggest you reach for chuck.
Equipment
- Slow cooker (if following the slow cooker method)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck or rump, (or venison, boar, squab, or rabbit)
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 handful each rosemary and thyme, stems discarded and leaves finely chopped
- 1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 celery stick, finely chopped
- 2 wineglasses Chianti
- Two (14-ounce) cans plum tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons pearl barley
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 14 ounces fresh or dried pappardelle
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, (if using venison, boar, squab, or rabbit use 5 tablespoons of butter)
- 2 handfuls grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- To make the pappardelle in your slow cooker, see the Slow Cooker Variation below. To make the pappardelle on your stovetop, season the meat with salt and pepper. (It can be cut into large 2-inch chunks if it's beef, venison, or wild boar; left whole if it's squab; or cut into 5 or 6 pieces if it's rabbit.)
- Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add a little olive oil and the meat, being careful not to crowd the pot, and cook until golden brown on all sides. It may be necessary to work in batches; if so, return all the meat to the pot after it's browned.
- Add your herbs, onions, garlic, carrot, and celery to the meat in the pot, reduce the heat, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the wine and simmer just until the liquid has almost completely cooked away but has left you with a fantastic color and fragrance. Add the plum tomatoes, the pearl barley, and just enough water to cover the meat by about 1/2 inch.
- Gently place the parchment circle directly on the surface of the liquid. Put a lid on the pot as well to retain as much moisture as possible while cooking.
- Reduce the heat to low and gentle simmer for 2 to 3 hours. The exact timing will depend on the tenderness and type of meat. You'll know that the meat is ready when you can literally tug on it with a fork and it easily pulls apart in strands.
- Season the beef ragu with salt and pepper to taste and let it cool slightly before removing the meat from the pan. Using 2 forks, pull apart all the chunks of meat, throwing away any gristle or bits of undissolved fat. Skim any fat from the surface of the braising liquid. Return the shredded meat to the pot and place over low heat.
- Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook your pappardelle for 3 minutes if using fresh pasta or according to the package instructions if using dried. Once it's cooked, drain it in a colander, saving some of the cooking water.
- Remove the meat sauce from the heat and stir in the butter and Parmesan along with a little of the reserved pasta cooking water—this will make it juicy and shiny.
- Toss the beef ragu with your drained pasta and, if desired, serve sprinkled with a little finely chopped fresh rosemary and some more grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.
Notes
Jamie Oliver's Pappardelle with Beef Ragu: Slow Cooker Variation
Toss everything in the slow cooker. No need to brown the meat or vegetables in a skillet first (although if you can spare the time to do so, you will be justly rewarded with a slightly more complex flavor). No need to add any water. And you may want to consider either swapping fresh herbs for dried or, if you prefer fresh, adding them only during the last hour or so of cooking. Cook on low for 8 or so hours, until the meat is fall-apart tender. If the beef ragu seems too liquidy, simply remove the meat, crank the slow cooker up to high, and simmer until the liquid is reduced to the desired consistency. Continue with step 7 in the instructions above. [Editor’s Note: Bear in mind, no two slow cookers are exactly alike, just as no two cooks are exactly alike. This slow-cooker approach worked really, really well for us, although if you have a different slow-cooker cooking technique you want to try by all means, do so. And, natch, we’d love if you’d share it with us in a comment below.]Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 1159kcal | Carbohydrates: 93g | Protein: 59g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 284mg | Sodium: 436mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g