Beef Short Ribs With Rigatoni

"The success of this dish really depends on meaty ribs, or fatty ones, so get to know your butcher and look for well marbled ribs without a lot of fat. Ask for an English cut, which means pieces that are between 2 and 4 inches long. Slow cooking produces the tenderest and most delicious flavor and the entire casserole can be assembled and cooked hours before it is needed and just reheated, or cooked the day before. Either way, it is a winner. Pressed for time? Try making this in a crock pot. Set it and forget it, and come home to a great dinner."
 
Download
photo by a food.com user photo by a food.com user
Ready In:
3hrs
Ingredients:
16
Serves:
4
Advertisement

ingredients

Advertisement

directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F
  • Heat the olive oil in a large stovetop-to-oven-to-tabletop casserole, 12 by 2 inches deep. (I love my Le Creuset.)
  • Rub the ribs with salt and pepper and brown them in batches. Do not crowd the ribs or they will steam instead of brown. As they brown, transfer them to a dish.
  • If there is a lot of fat in the pan, drain off most of it, leaving about 2 tablespoons. Brown the pancetta; stir in the onions, fennel, and carrots and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
  • Stir in the garlic and cook 2 minutes.
  • Stir in the mushrooms and cook 2 minutes more.
  • Raise the heat to high and pour in 1/3 cup of the wine. Cook until the wine almost evaporates, about 3 minutes.
  • Stir in the red pepper flakes and oregano.
  • Combine the remaining wine, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar in a bowl; mix well, then pour over the ribs.
  • Cover the pan tightly with a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil and then a cover and bake for 2 hours or until the ribs are tender.
  • Adjust the sauce seasoning if necessary.
  • Remove the ribs to a cutting board; trim the meat away from the bone and connective tissue into small pieces and return the meat to the pan.
  • Discard the bones and connective tissue. Keep the ragu warm while the rigatoni cooks.
  • Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil; add 1 tablespoon of salt and the rigatoni. Cook until the rigatoni is al dente.
  • Drain the rigatoni and return it to the pot.
  • Ladle some of the ragu sauce over the rigatoni and mix well. Transfer the rigatoni to a platter and pour the ragu over the pasta. Or mix the pasta directly in the casserole dish.
  • Serve with grated Parmigiano Reggiano sprinkled over the top.

Questions & Replies

Got a question? Share it with the community!
Advertisement

Reviews

  1. WONDERFUL!!! I left out the fennel and only had about 2 lbs of ribs, but even so, it turned out very, very good!!!!! I also had regular mushrooms and used those. Let it bake in the oven as instructed and, WOWWW!!!!! My husband said this was one of his favorites!!!
     
  2. Very Yummy!!! I used Procuitto instead of panchetta, and I cooked it in the crock pot on Low for 8 hours. After the 8 hours, I strained the top, to remove some of the grease from the short ribs, and then simmered it for 20min. The flavor was very good.
     
Advertisement

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I am originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota and moved to Ohio in 1978. It was quite a culture shock going from the city to living next to the Amish. I spend most of my time cooking, cleaning and caring for my four kids. I have abandoned cookbooks and now cook from favorite, wilted recipe pages and the internet. I fell in love with my Italian family recipes (Scavo, Rotella, Scalzo, Micelli, Grande, Gigliotti) and my Mom's homecooked meals.
 
View Full Profile
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Find More Recipes