Braised Short Rib Mushroom Sauce with Pappardelle
This recipe takes time, but most of it is hands-off time while the short ribs braise in the oven. I like to take the extra step to strain the sauce and reduce it which gives you a velvety smooth sauce that clings to the pasta. The sauce is flavored with mushrooms, red wine and fresh tarragon - an anise-flavored herb - and pairs wonderfully with the tender short ribs. Make the sauce up to a day in advance and gently warm it on the stove, thinning it with water if it's too thick, when you're ready to serve it.
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Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pound boneless beef short ribs seasoned with kosher salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 8 oz whole cremini mushrooms quartered
- 1 yellow onion roughly chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
- 4 sprigs fresh parsley see note
- 10 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh tarragon
- 2 cups red wine like pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon
- 8 oz pappardelle pasta see note
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Brown the short ribs in the pot for about five minutes on each side. Remove them from the pan.
- Add the butter to the pot and once it's melted add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Cook the vegetables for about ten minutes, stirring frequently. Add the salt, pepper, and sprinkle the flour over the top of the veggies. Stir to coat them in the flour and add the tomatoes, parsley, thyme, and tarragon. Add the wine and stir to combine. Place the short ribs back in the pot and add enough water to the pot so that they're covered (I used 2 cups of water, but depending on your pot you may need a little more or less).
- Bring the pot to a boil. Turn the heat off and cover the pot with a lid slightly askew to allow steam to escape. Transfer the pot to the oven for two and a half to three hours, or until the short ribs shred easily with a fork.
- Remove the short ribs from the pot. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the sauce into a large bowl removing all the vegetables from the pot. Press on the vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible before discarding. Pour the strained liquid back into the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Adjust the heat to medium to maintain a strong simmer for thirty minutes or until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. While the sauce reduces, cook the pasta according to package directions.
- Shred the short ribs and place them back in the sauce. At this point, taste the sauce and add more salt if you think it needs it. Simmer for a few minutes to warm the beef through. Serve with the pasta.
Notes
Because you will strain the sauce there's no need to chop the parsley or thyme. You can toss them in the sauce - stems and all.
Pappardelle is a ribbon-like pasta that has a great texture. It's available at most mainstream grocery stores, but if you can't find it, substitute linguine or fettuccine instead.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 707kcal | Carbohydrates: 58.5g | Protein: 34.3g | Fat: 28.9g | Saturated Fat: 12.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14.6g | Trans Fat: 0.8g | Cholesterol: 121.2mg | Sodium: 812.9mg | Fiber: 4.5g | Sugar: 5.4g
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