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bowl of rigatoni pasta with chunky beef ragù sauce, garnished with Parmigiano-Reggiano and fresh basil on a wooden table

Slow-Simmered Beef Ragù Pasta

This authentic Italian beef ragù transforms humble ingredients into pure comfort with tender chunks of beef simmered for hours in a rich tomato and wine sauce. The slow cooking process creates layers of deep, complex flavors that cling perfectly to ridged rigatoni pasta. This is the kind of soul-warming dish that makes your kitchen smell like a trattoria in Bologna.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 745
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Beef Ragù
  • 500 g beef chuck cut into 2cm chunks
  • 100 g pancetta finely diced
  • 150 g yellow onion finely chopped
  • 100 g carrot finely chopped
  • 80 g celery finely chopped
  • 20 g garlic 4 cloves, minced
  • 30 g tomato paste
  • 150 ml dry red wine preferably Chianti
  • 400 g canned whole San Marzano tomatoes
  • 300 ml beef stock
  • 2 g fresh rosemary 1 sprig
  • 2 item bay leaves
  • 30 ml whole milk
  • 25 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 g kosher salt divided
  • 3 g freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 g granulated sugar
For the Pasta
  • 320 g rigatoni pasta
  • 40 g Parmigiano-Reggiano finely grated
  • item Fresh basil leaves for garnish

Method
 

Prepare and Brown the Beef
  1. Pat the 500g beef chunks completely dry with paper towels and season generously with 5g salt and 3g black pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the 100g pancetta, and cook for 6-8 minutes until crispy and golden. Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot. Working in two batches, brown the beef chunks deeply on all sides (8-10 minutes per batch) until a rich, dark crust forms. Transfer to a plate.
Build the Soffritto Base
  1. Reduce heat to medium and add the 25ml olive oil to the pot. Add the 150g onion, 100g carrot, and 80g celery. Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring frequently and scraping up the browned bits, until the vegetables are very soft and beginning to caramelize. Add the 20g garlic and 30g tomato paste, cooking for 2-3 minutes while stirring constantly until the paste darkens to a brick-red color.
Deglaze and Build the Sauce
  1. Pour in the 150ml red wine, increase heat to medium-high, and scrape the pot bottom vigorously to release all the fond. Let the wine reduce by half (4-5 minutes) until syrupy. Crush the 400g whole tomatoes by hand directly into the pot, squeezing each one to break it apart. Add all tomato juices, the 300ml beef stock, rosemary sprig, 2 bay leaves, and 2g sugar. Return the browned beef with any accumulated juices and the crispy pancetta to the pot.
Slow-Simmer the Beef Ragù
  1. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce heat to the lowest setting. Partially cover the pot (leave it slightly ajar) and simmer very gently for 2.5 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. The ragù should barely bubble; if boiling too vigorously, reduce heat further. After 2.5 hours, remove the rosemary sprig and bay leaves. Using two forks, shred the beef directly in the pot into smaller pieces. Stir in the 30ml whole milk, which adds richness and helps bind the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with remaining 3g salt if needed.
Cook Pasta and Combine
  1. While the ragù finishes, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the 320g rigatoni according to package directions until al dente, then drain, reserving 240ml pasta water. Add the cooked pasta directly to the ragù and toss over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, adding splashes of pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce that coats every piece. The ridges of the rigatoni should catch and hold the chunky meat sauce.
Serve and Garnish
  1. Divide the ragù pasta among four warm bowls. Top each serving with a generous amount of the 40g grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and tear fresh basil leaves over the top. Serve immediately with extra Parmigiano-Reggiano on the side. The ragù tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld together.

Notes

  • The key to exceptional beef ragù is patience. The sauce should simmer gently, never boil — aggressive heat tightens the meat fibers and dries the sauce instead of letting it break down. If the ragù reduces too much during cooking, add small amounts of beef stock or water to maintain a thick but saucy consistency. You’re aiming for richness and flow, not a dry meat paste.
  • Beef ragù is ideal for make-ahead cooking and actually improves with time. It can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator, or frozen for up to 3 months without losing texture or flavor. Reheat slowly over low heat, adding a splash of water or stock if needed to loosen the sauce back to its proper consistency.
  • Adding whole milk at the end of cooking is traditional in Bolognese-style ragù and plays a critical role. The milk softens acidity from the tomatoes, rounds out the meatiness, and gives the sauce a more velvety, cohesive texture. Add it only at the end and keep the heat low — boiling after adding milk will flatten the flavor and undo its balancing effect.