SLOW COOKED BEEF RAGU WITH FRESH PARPADELLE

I’m not the biggest fan of red meat. Growing up, it was a rare delicacy and my family seemed to enjoy fish a lot more. And as I grew older, I don’t really think it’s the healthiest option of protein, so I take it only about once or twice a week.

Because of this, for some reason, whenever I cook red meat at home I always make a big deal out of it. You know, to make it more ‘special’ since it’s just an occasional treat (like my Vietnamese steaks, which you can get the recipe for here). This time around, I decided to make a slow-cooked beef ragu. It’s called slow cooked because it was on the stove for more than an hour, folks. In my book that is considered an eternity in the kitchen. #workinggirlproblems

What I like the most about this dish is that it elevates the usual spaghetti Bologniese – vegetables cooked slowly so that they’re soft and becomes part of the rich tomato sauce, and the meat is cooked gently until it literally melts in your mouth. Eat it with some fresh pasta and it feels like an indulgent treat in your own home.

It’s definitely a recipe to try, even more so if you make a big batch out of it, so you can keep some in the freezer for those days where you’re too lazy to cook but still want good, comforting food.

This recipe makes for at least 4 servings with pasta.

What You Need:
250-300g steak, preferably with high marbling, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ heart of celery, chopped
2 red onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
½ tsp whole black peppercorns
100ml passata
Pasta of choice (I prefer fresh lasagne sheets, which I then cut into thick slices to make parpadelle)

What You Do:

1. In a deep casserole pot, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil.
2. Season the steak cubes with salt and pepper. Sear the sides of the meat in the casserole pot, for 30 seconds each side. You’re trying to get the browning of the meat going, but you’re not cooking it entirely. Remove meat.
3. In the same pot, add the chopped celery, onions and carrots. They look like a lot, but they will cook down.
4. In a pestle and mortar, pound the garlic with the peppercorns into a pasta. Add this to the pot.
5. After about 5 minutes from adding the veg, add the meat. Stir, then add the passata. Mix everything.
6. Add 500 ml water or broth. Season with salt. Close the lid. Simmer it on low heat.
7. Go do yoga or read something for about an hour. Every 10 mins or so, check on the pot. Stir everything around, or add a little water if everything looks too dry.
8. You know it’s done when the sauce has a very thick consistency, and the meat is soft that you can break the cubes easily with a spoon.
9. Boil some hot water with added salt in a different pot.
10. Take out lasagne sheets, and cut them into 0.5 inch noodles. Ta-da! You just made fresh parpadelle.
11. Cook them in the boiling water for 1 minute. If you’re opting for dried pasta, cook pasta according to packet instructions.
12. In a large plate, ladle the sauce, then the pasta on top, with a drizzle of olive oil.
13. Eat while hot, with a side serving of grated parmesan.
14. ProTip: the sauce tastes even better if kept for the next day, and the next day….