It’s a rich pasta sauce, so is at its best when paired with something lighter that can cut through the beef. The rich sauce and chunks of beef coat pasta beautifully, especially when using a thick and hearty pasta like pappardelle or tagliatelle. Serving this ragu with pasta may be the most obvious way to go, but it also could be the best. A hearty pasta sauce needs a hearty pasta, so choose a thick pasta like pappardelle, fettuccine or tagliatelle.Barley doesn’t add a lot of flavour beyond a subtle nuttiness, but makes the ragu creamier by releasing starch during the cooking process. Barley is optional, but is a great way to thicken the ragu while adding nutrition.If you don’t want to cook with wine, it can be replaced with beef stock. The red wine is an amazing source of flavour for a ragu and I always keep a bottle on hand to use in recipes like this.

This is a good recipe to save money on a cheap cut of meat, which will become tender and flavourful as it cooks.

Because of the slow cooking process and the number of other flavours added to the beef, there isn’t a lot of benefit in buying an expensive cut of meat.

It will, however, taste great with rigatoni, penne or any other sturdy pasta. No delicate capellini or even spaghetti will do quite as well. Just bear in mind that it’s a robust sauce, so your pasta should match it. Well, seeing that it’s Italian I served it with pappardelle pasta and and generous grating of parmesan cheese.Īctually you can serve this beef ragu with any pasta of your choice. You are probably wondering how to eat this delicious sauce. I mean in a complete disbelief that you barely lifted a finger for this awesomeness to come out of your kitchen. The bold taste of this sauce will leave you gobsmacked. If you see more meat than tomato, you’ve got yourself a proper Italian beef ragu. The main characteristic of the beef ragu is it’s heavily meat-based sauce. There are differences but they are so subtle that many Italians use the words interchangeably. Italian Beef Ragu and Bolognese sauces are twins but not exactly the same. It is then left simmering slowly for 12…that’s right, 12 hours over low heat. Then it is sprinkled with salt and pepper and minced garlic and drowned in half a bottle of Chianti. Just imagine a 4 pound hunk of beef smothered in plum Italian tomatoes, fresh rosemary and thyme. Truly this is the king of pasta sauces! What is Italian Beef Ragu? Sometimes all we need is kick-ass flavour to turn dinner into something special.Īnd this ragu has heaps of flavour, with savoury beef, sweet and acidic tomatoes and rich red wine. Truth is, not all incredible food needs to be high cuisine. And I can’t even begin to describe how tender and flavourful this ragu is! While this may not exactly be food art it is a beautiful sight nonetheless. I really love rustic dishes that look scruffy and taste earthy. Have you ever had a really tasty and satisfying Italian beef ragu at your favourite Italian restaurant? I am talking about rich and satisfying meat based tomato sauce that’s been cooked for hours allowing for deep flavours to build and blend into a beautiful medley. I suppose I can share the limelight…for one day.

And if a slow cooker has to take the centre stage for this to happen, so be it. I am however, a HUGE fan of tender, melt-in-your-mouth, big and bold flavour meat.

I like stew but not every day of the week. I also find meals cooked in a crock pot taste too similar to each other. Mine doesn’t get used very often, mostly because I enjoy the cooking process and am too much of a control freak to let the slow cooker take over. I am going to admit openly that I am not a big fan of crock pots. Not planning to use a slow cooker? Check out my Tuscan Ragu! Use it with pasta or in lasagna and freeze the rest! The rich and chunky ragu is packed with vibrant flavour and is so satisfying to eat. This rustic Italian Beef Ragu requires minimum skill or effort as it is made easily in a slow cooker.

Chunky garlic paste