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Short Rib Ragu

12/30/2022

So I went to Chicago a few months ago in the fall and had some of the best dang short rib ragu EVER - Quartino's if you're wondering! ;) Whenever I travel I always like to come home and recreate dishes I loved while away - so the inspo for this one is coming from that!

This recipe is quite literally the opposite of all my simple recipes - it's def easy but not as quick as finishing a sauce in the time that your pasta is done boiling! It's a labor of love for sure and worth every second.

The recipe video that I posted to instagram is a doubled version. The finished sauce freezes really well and since it's so much work, I love to freeze half of it to have on demand for another time without having to simmer for 4 hours!

Recipe as is (4 short ribs) makes enough for 6 servings. The recipe doubled (8 short ribs) makes enough for 12 servings.

HERE ARE MY TIPS:

Be sure to pat your short ribs completely dry before coating in salt and pepper and searing in the oil. Dry short ribs sear the best and it helps to build that deep flavor!
I suggest throwing your onion, celery and carrot into a food processor so that the texture of those aromatics aren't too bulky in the sauce - it's worth it.
The recipe says to simmer for 3.5-4 hours so plan ahead and do the prep work early in the day if you want this for dinner on the same day! The short ribs should be falling apart and off the bone when they are ready.
Scoop some of the excess oil off the top of the pot once it's done simmering.
If you notice the sauce isn't as thick as you would like, you can let it simmer on medium heat for 10-15 minutes with the lid off. Some of the liquid will evaporate and things will thicken up!

What you need:

4 short ribs + salt/pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely diced carrots
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/3 cup finely diced onion
4 minced garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef broth
1 28 oz can crushed or whole peeled tomatoes + the juice
1 lb pasta of choice (pappardelle or rigatoni are my faves for this one)
Parsley and parm or pecorino romano cheese for topping

What to do:

Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven (that has a lid.)
Pat the short ribs with a paper towel until extremely dry. Season heavily with salt and pepper. Sear the short ribs until the sides are brown (about 8-10 minutes on each side.) Set the short ribs aside until they're ready to go back into the recipe!
There should be a good amount of fat from the short ribs and oil in the bottom of your dutch oven pan - this is GOOD. Add the carrots, celery and onion and bay leaves. Cook for about 10 minutes until wilted and soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two until fragrant.
Add the tomato paste to the veggies and cook for 5-6 minutes until it thickens and turns dark brick red in color.
Add the wine and bring to a boil. Next, add the beef broth and tomatoes.
Nestle the seared short ribs into the sauce, making sure that they are mostly covered. It's OKAY if some pieces are sticking out a little. Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce the heat setting on the stove to simmer.
Cover with a lid and cook for 3 1/2 - 4 hours. The short ribs will be falling off the bone and super tender when they're done.
Discard the bones and if there's a lot of oil sitting on top, you can use a spoon to scoop it out of the pot. Use forks to separate any meat that might not have fallen apart before serving the sauce over your pasta of choice!

3 Comments

Breakfast Sausage Pasta

12/8/2022

0 Comments

I first made this recipe in 2018 - butttttt it's only lived on my IG highlights until today!! So excited to type it all up and get the recipe into a more formal, shareable space for you guys! It's a fun one!

I LOVE sausage gravy and I think it pairs so well with pasta and yolky egg. If you don't like spicy, you can obviously leave out the red pepper flakes. I don't want to hear any nonsense about how many calories must be in this dish - it's totally a cozy, treat yourself kind of meal!!

What you need:

1/2 lb rigatoni or other pasta of choice
~1 lb ground pork sausage
1 handful of torn sage leaves (about 8-10 leaves)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
4 grated or minced garlic cloves
2 tbsp salted butter
2 additional tbsp salted butter (for the roux)
1 1/2 tbsp all purpose flour (for the roux)
1 1/2 cup whole milk
optional : poached egg topping
optional : parmesan cheese topping

What to do:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil in order to cook the pasta.
Add the pork to a large and deep pot, season it with the sage, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and garlic. Cook it with the 2 tbsp of butter until browned.
Create an opening in the center of your pot or pan by moving the ground sausage to the edges. Melt the additional butter in the open area. Add the flour to it and whisk to create a roux. Stir the roux in the center to cook it for a few minutes until it becomes thick and pasty.
Add the whole milk to the roux and whisk. The sausage can be mixed back into the center of the pan at this point.
Continue to cook and stir the roux and milk on medium heat. It should thicken up and turn into a gravy. Once it's hit gravy status and texture, turn the heat to low and keep stirring it every few minutes until the pasta is done cooking. You may need to adjust the texture a bit by adding in a little more milk if things get super thickkkk.
Add the pasta to the sausage gravy - you may want to add in some reserved pasta water to thin out the gravy a bit!
Serve hot, love to serve mine with a poached egg and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

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Bolognese Meatballs

12/1/2022

2 Comments

Okay so I buy these Kid Fresh frozen meatballs from the grocery store (they're pretty expensive but I love that they have hidden veggies in them!) and my whole family LOVES them. Win win. I thought about making meatballs with hidden veggies at home but wasn't motivated enough to try until I got the idea to try and use the veggies that are mixed with meat to make a classic bolognese sauce!!

The meatballs actually cook in plain tomato sauce and the flavor comes out and seasons the whole dish. It tastes like bolognese but it's just fun to have meatballs instead of chunky ground meat!!

What you need:
For the meatballs

1/2 lb ground beef (I used 80% lean)
1/2 lb ground pork sausage
1/2 cup finely grated onion
3 finely grated garlic cloves
1/2 cup finely grated carrot
1/2 cup finely grated celery
3/4 cup breadcrumbs (I toasted bread and threw it in the food processor)
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Optional: Italian herb blend or herbs of choice

For the rest

1 16 oz jar marinara or plain tomato sauce
1/2 lb (1/2 standard box) pasta of choice (I used mezze rigatoni)
Parmesan or pecorino romano cheese for topping

What to do:

Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a deep bowl and mix until fully combined. Roll into desired size meatballs.
Cook the meatballs in the bottom of a sauce pot with a little extra virgin olive oil. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the meatballs, but you'll want to sear the edges. I usually let the meatballs sit still for a good few minutes after placing them in the hot pot, if they are ripping when you try to turn them, they aren't ready to be turned yet.
Once the meatballs are a little browned and seared around the edges, they're ready for the tomato sauce. Pour it into the pot and then cover with a lid. Turn the heat to simmer and let them hang out for 20 minutes or so while you cook the pasta - do not forget to salt your water before cooking the pasta in it!
Once the pasta is done cooking, add it to the meatballs and sauce and eat right away. I love topping the dish with either freshly grated parm or pecorino romano cheese.

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Short Rib Ragu

Breakfast Sausage Pasta

Bolognese Meatballs

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