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I am all about easy recipes that use simple ingredients to create bold flavors.

So, when my husband told me that short ribs were on sale at the market, I basically sprinted to the door.

What is ragu?

In Italian cuisine, “ragu” is used to describe a meat-based sauce.

The most common form of ragu you’ll find is ragu alla bolognese, or bolognese sauce. This is made with ground beef.

Other meats that you can use are pork, boar, duck and lamb.

For this recipe, we will be using short ribs.

What is ragu served with?

Ragu is most commonly served with pasta, but it can also be served with other grain options, such as gnocchi or polenta.

This dish may also be served by itself, although this is a little bit less common to see. In my opinion, it is also less fun. I love carbs!

What does ragu taste like?

My personal opinion is that the best dishes have a very simple list of ingredients. With a little bit of love and attention, those simple ingredients transform into an intense experience on your taste buds!

The first word that comes to mind when I think of ragu is “rich”. I feel like royalty whenever I get to eat ragu because the dish is just so incredibly flavorful.

If I were to describe short rib ragu to someone who has never tried it before, I would say it sort of resembles a beef stew, but a little bit thinner and without the veggies. Almost as if you were to make a big pot of marinara sauce and combined it with beef stew.

Beef Short Rib Ragu Ingredients

For this recipe, you are going to need the following ingredients:

Short ribs-you can also use chuck roast if you don’t have short ribs
Aromatics-onion and garlic are a staple in any of my recipes. I’ll have measurements posted at the bottom, but in all honesty I judge the amount of onion and garlic with my heart.
San Marzano tomatoes-you can use any other kind of canned tomato but I just prefer San Marzano. You can also use pasta sauce you’ve previously made (my recipe for pasta sauce posted here), or jarred sauce.
Herbs and Spices-My basil plant was thriving when I was testing out this recipe, so I used quite a bit of basil. If you don’t have basil, you can use dried basil or Italian seasoning.
Oil-you’ll need a little bit to brown the short ribs at the beginning

How to make Braised Short Rib Ragu?

The first step is to brown your short ribs. I recommend leaving your meat out on the counter for about thirty minutes before browning.

Heat the bottom of a pot or Dutch oven under medium heat. Add oil. Once the oil starts to shimmer, add your short ribs, flipping until all the sides are browned and a nice crust has formed.

Then, in the same pot, add your onion. Stir until your onions are slightly caramelized and then add the garlic. Cook for an additional one to two minutes.

To the pot add the cans of San Marzano tomatoes and spices. Put the short ribs back into the sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and let cook for two hours, or until you can easily shred the meat.

What to serve with Short Rib Ragu?

Pasta pairs best with short rib ragu.

Other than pasta, you can also serve ragu with bread, polenta, or gnocchi.

I also like to have veggies with my meal. Whenever I have short rib ragu, I like to make a simple salad to serve on the side. I love the refreshing, crisp flavors that it adds to the meal.

What is the best pasta for Short Rib Ragu?

The type of pasta you choose for a dish typically depends on the sauce.

If you have a thinner sauce with simple flavors, you’ll want to choose a thin pasta, such as angel hair.

However, if you have a heartier sauce like a ragu, you’ll want a wider pasta.

For a longer pasta, you can use pappardelle, fettuccine, bucatini, and fusilli col buco.

For a shorter pasta, you can use rigatoni, orecchiette, shellbows, campanelle, or casarecce.

How to store leftovers

Leftovers stored in the refrigerator should be consumed in two to three days.

You can also freeze the ragu for up to three months.