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Beef Ragu Pasta

Beef Ragu Pasta is an Italian-inspired comfort dish made with slow-simmered ground beef, vegetables, tomatoes, and red wine. The rich sauce clings to tender pappardelle or rigatoni, finished with freshly grated Parmesan.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef Ragu
  • 2 lb lean ground beef
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion small, finely diced
  • 2 carrots finely diced
  • 2 celery stalks finely diced
  • 5 clove garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 28 oz crushed tomatoes 1 can
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 0.5 cup dry red wine optional
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Pasta
  • 1 lb pappardelle or rigatoni
  • 1 freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 fresh basil for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Make the beef ragu
  1. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.
  2. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, then cook for 6 minutes until softened.
  3. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste, then cook for 1 minute.
  4. Add the lean ground beef and cook until browned.
  5. Pour in the dry red wine and simmer for 3 minutes.
  6. Add the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, Italian seasoning, dried oregano, smoked paprika, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper.
  7. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 60–90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
  8. Remove the bay leaves.
Cook and serve
  1. Cook the pappardelle or rigatoni until al dente according to package directions.
  2. Toss the cooked pasta with the beef ragu until evenly coated.
  3. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh parsley, and fresh basil before serving.

Notes

For the deepest flavor, let the ragu simmer until it looks glossy and slightly reduced; if it thickens too much while waiting, loosen with a splash of beef broth. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; rewarm gently on the stove. Freeze the beef ragu (without the pasta) up to 3 months for best texture—thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter option, use 90% lean ground beef to reduce fat while keeping the sauce rich.