Shredded Beef Ragu

This Shredded Beef Ragu is the most amazing melt-in-your-mouth ragu recipe! It is made with a soffritto of celery, onion and carrots as well as fresh herbs and a beef chuck roast that is simmered in a tomato sauce until incredibly tender. 

For more delicious recipes using beef chuck roast, try my Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe and my Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches! 

Why This Recipe Works

• Melt-in-your mouth beef ragu recipe. This beef ragu pasta is made with a beef chuck roast that is cooked for 3 hours until it is so incredibly tender and juicy! 
• Packed with flavor. This beef ragu pappardelle is packed with tons of flavor and is a hearty meal the entire family will love! The combination of celery, onion and carrots brings a freshness to the dish. Combined with fresh herbs that infuse into the meat while cooking, you will be coming back for seconds and thirds! 
• Pappardelle noodles. While you can use any noodle of choice, the pappardelle noodles work perfectly with this shredded beef pasta because the sauce clings to the noodles and the length of the pasta helps hold the meat! 

Ingredient Notes

• Beef Chuck Roast: Cut the meat into 4 equal pieces so they sear evenly. 
• Soffritto Vegetables: Soffritto means lightly fried in Italian. It refers to a mixture of vegetables (carrots, onion and celery) and the method of cooking them. 
• Tomato Paste: This will help thicken the sauce without needing to add flour or cornstarch. 
• Fresh Herbs: We’ll use fresh rosemary, sage and fresh thyme, as well as bay leaves, to get the best and most flavorful ragu sauce. 
• Crushed Tomatoes: I use a 15 oz. can of crushed tomatoes. This is different than diced tomatoes. Crushed tomatoes are more sauce-like. 
• Low Sodium Beef Broth: This will add flavor that you wouldn’t get if you just used water. You can also use red wine if you prefer.
• Pappardelle Pasta: Pappardelle pasta is a thick and long noodle. It is typically dried in little noodle nests and not sold in a box like spaghetti or linguini. You can use bucatini or another pasta of your choosing if desired.
• Freshly Grated Parmesan: Freshly grated parmesan is better than store-bought pre-shredded cheese which has been coated with cellulose to help the shreds of cheese not stick to each other. This makes it harder for the shredded cheese to melt. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Sear the beef. Pat dry the beef. Season each side with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chuck roast an sear on each side (about 3-4 minutes per side). Transfer to a plate and set aside.

2. Make the soffritto. Keep 2 tablespoons worth of the oil from the meat. If there wasn’t any remaining, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or more as needed) to the pan. Add the carrots, onion and celery. Salt and pepper (about 1 tsp each). Stir often. Cook for about 15 minutes or until browned. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. 

3. Add the tomato paste and beef broth. Add the tomato paste and stir until the tomato paste browns a bit. Pour in the beef broth to deglaze the bottom of the pot. Cook until almost all the beef broth is absorbed into the soffritto.
4. Add the remaining ingredients. Tie the fresh herbs with kitchen twine and add them along with the bay leaves, crushed tomatoes, 2 1/2 cups beef broth, and seared beef.
5. Cover and simmer. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the beef is very tender. Check occasionally to see if you need to add a splash of beef broth if the ragu loses too much liquid.  

6. Shred the beef. Transfer the beef to a cutting board and shred (the meat will be pull apart tender so it should shred really easily!). Remove the tied herbs and bay leave. Discard. Place the shredded beef back in the sauce. 

7. Boil the pappardelle. Cook the pappardelle according to the package instructions (in water with a tablespoon of kosher salt until al dente). Save 1 cup of the pasta water when draining. 
8. Add the heavy cream and cheese. While the pasta is cooking, let the ragu come to a simmer. Stir in the heavy cream and the freshly shredded parmesan cheese. 

9. Add the pasta. Add the cooked pappardelle to the pot and toss until the noodles are coated. Add your desired amount of reserved pasta water to loosen up the sauce. Serve! 

Recipe Tips

When searing the beef, do not overcrowd the pan. Work in batches if you need to. 

It’s all about low and slow to get the beef nicely tender and juicy! 

Use beef broth instead of water for added flavor. 

Fresh herbs will provide a stronger flavor and will penetrate throughout the dish better than dried herbs. 

If you want a bit of kick, you can add some red pepper flakes to the meat sauce.

Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing

You’ll want to make this shredded beef ragu at least a bit ahead of time because of the cook time for the beef. Leftovers are also amazing so feel free to make it a day in advance if needed. 

Leftovers are absolutely delicious (perhaps even better the next day!) and my whole family fights over who gets the most of the leftovers! With that being said, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. 

If you want to freeze any leftovers, I would freeze the shredded beef ragu without the noodles. Once frozen and thawed, noodles will become mushy.

Recipe FAQs

More Pasta Recipes

• Pasta with Zucchini Sauce
• Crockpot Lasagna with Ricotta Cheese
• Turkey Spinach Meatballs and Spaghetti
• Penne Pomodoro

recipe adapted from Plays Well With Butter.