Imagine a dish so luxuriously tender and rich that it transforms an ordinary dinner into an extraordinary culinary experience. Our Beef Cheek Ragu Pasta is not just a meal; it's a journey through Italian comfort food that promises to melt in your mouth and warm your soul. With fall-apart beef cheeks braised to perfection and a deeply flavorful sauce that clings lovingly to perfectly cooked pasta, this recipe is about to become your new weekend cooking obsession.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
Total Time: 2 hrs 45 mins
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 beef cheeks
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery sticks, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 cups beef stock
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 400g pasta of choice
- Fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Remove beef cheeks from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature. Pat dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and sear beef cheeks until deep golden brown on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove meat and set aside.
- In the same pot, add chopped onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté until vegetables are soft and slightly caramelized, approximately 6-8 minutes.
- Add minced garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn.
- Pour in red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up all browned bits from the bottom. Let wine reduce by half, about 3-4 minutes.
- Return beef cheeks to the pot. Add diced tomatoes and beef stock. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cover the pot and transfer to a preheated oven at 325°F (165°C). Braise for 2-
- 5 hours, or until meat is extremely tender and easily falls apart.
- Remove pot from oven. Using two forks, shred the beef cheeks directly in the sauce, ensuring meat is well incorporated.
- While ragu is resting, cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- Toss pasta with ragu, adding reserved pasta water if needed to loosen sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Plate pasta, garnish with fresh torn basil leaves, and optionally add grated Parmesan cheese.
Tips
- Always bring beef cheeks to room temperature before cooking to ensure even braising.
- Pat the meat dry before seasoning to achieve a perfect golden-brown sear.
- Don't rush the braising process - low and slow is the secret to incredibly tender meat.
- Use a good quality red wine that you'd also enjoy drinking for the best flavor depth.
- Reserve some pasta water to help create a silky, clingy sauce when mixing pasta and ragu.
- For an extra luxurious touch, finish with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
- This dish tastes even better the next day, so don't hesitate to make it in advance!
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 620kcal
Carbohydrates: 45g
Protein: 55g
Fat: 28g
Saturated Fat: 12g
Cholesterol: 160mg
