Penne pasta is tossed with a tender short rib ragu, flavored with mirepoix, thyme, and brandy, and topped with sharp pecorino romano cheese!

Short Rib Pasta - In White Bowl with Parmesan Cheese Sprinkled on Top and Short Rib Ragu throughout
When I’m looking for comfort in a bowl, I don’t make mac and cheese, or eat meatloaf, or make ice cream.  I make this.

Penne pasta with short rib ragu, it is seriously one of the tastiest most comforting dishes I have ever known.

You braise short ribs in the oven with all sorts of aromatic vegetables for 2 hours until they are so tender that they fall apart.

Then you puree the mirepoix (onion, carrots, celery) and turn it into a thick sauce for the pasta.

The short ribs just give the sauce such incredible mouthfeel, and I love how many flavors in this dish all come together.

Short Rib Pasta - In White Bowl with Parmesan Cheese Sprinkled on Top and Short Rib Ragu throughout

Penne Pasta with Short Rib Ragu

Servings: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Penne pasta is tossed with a tender short rib ragu, flavored with mirepoix, thyme, and brandy, and topped with sharp pecorino romano cheese!
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Ingredients

  • 2 lbs short ribs
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 celery ribs
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 tbsp brandy you can sub 1/4 cup wine if you want
  • 1 tsp flour
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 1 lb penne pasta
  • 1/3 cup pecorino romano or parmigiano
  • parsley to garnish if desired
  • salt and pepper

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Roughly chop the yellow onion, carrots, celery ribs, and throw them in the food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.
  • Heat up an ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper, and brown on all sides. Once nicely browned, remove the short ribs to a plate, and add the yellow onion, carrots, celery, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, and thyme, along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Deglaze the pan by adding the brandy, and scrape up all the browned bits from the pan. Stir in the flour, tomato paste, and garlic.
  • Return the short ribs to the pan, and add the beef stock. Put a lid on, and place it in the oven for 2 hours until the meat falls apart.
  • Now is the part where you remove the short ribs from the pan and shred with two forks until the short ribs are in pieces.
  • Boil your penne with plenty of boiling water and salt until al dente. While that cooks, remove the bay leaf from the short rib pan, and puree the contents until smooth. This is your sauce, and if it’s too thin, you can reduce it down on the stove, or if it’s too thick, you can add a little bit of water.
  • To pull everything together, dress the penne with the short rib sauce, add the shredded short ribs, and the pecorino romano and parsley if desired. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 380kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 48mg, Sodium: 220mg, Potassium: 622mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 2625IU, Vitamin C: 1.8mg, Calcium: 30mg, Iron: 2.9mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Author: Joanne Ozug