Beef Ragu with Homemade Tagliatelle

A rich, slow-cooked beef ragu with tender pulled beef, san marzano tomatoes and a hint of dark chocolate, tossed with silky homemade tagliatelle and finished with aged pecorino.

Ingredients

For the ragu

• 800g beef short ribs or beef chuck, cut into large chunks
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 carrots, finely diced
• 3 celery stalks, finely diced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 200ml red wine (something you'd drink)
• 400g tin san marzano tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 300ml beef stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 small square (10g) dark chocolate (70%+)
• Salt and black pepper

For the tagliatelle

• 300g 00 flour, plus extra for dusting
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Pinch of salt

To serve

• Aged pecorino or parmesan, freshly grated
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• Good olive oil

Method

1. Heat olive oil in a heavy-based casserole over high heat. Season the beef generously and sear in batches until deeply browned on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrot and celery to the same pan and cook for 10 minutes until softened and starting to caramelise. Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.

3. Add tomato paste and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the red wine and scrape up any caramelised bits from the bottom. Let it bubble for 3 minutes.

4. Add the tinned tomatoes, beef stock, bay leaves and rosemary. Return the beef to the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 2.5-3 hours until the beef pulls apart easily.

5. While the ragu cooks, make the pasta. Mound the flour on a clean surface and make a well in the centre. Crack in the eggs, add the olive oil and salt. Using a fork, gradually incorporate the flour from the inside. Once it comes together, knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes.

6. Remove the beef from the ragu and shred it with two forks, discarding any bones or large pieces of fat. Return the meat to the sauce. Add the dark chocolate and stir until melted. Season to taste.

7. Roll the pasta dough to setting 5 or 6 on a pasta machine (or very thin with a rolling pin). Dust generously with flour and roll up loosely, then cut into 1cm ribbons. Shake out and dust with more flour.

8. Cook the tagliatelle in heavily salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.

9. Add the drained pasta to the ragu with a splash of pasta water. Toss well over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until the sauce coats every strand.

10. Serve immediately topped with freshly grated pecorino, a scatter of parsley and a drizzle of your best olive oil.