Tagliatelle Braised Beef Recipe

Prepare and sear beef

Pat beef pieces dry and season evenly with 1½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Heat a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter. When shimmering, brown beef in batches (do not overcrowd) until deeply browned on all sides, 6–8 minutes per batch. Transfer seared beef to a plate and set aside.

Sweat aromatics

Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tbs olive oil to the pot. Add diced carrots, onion and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to color, 8–10 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.

Build flavor

Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, 2–3 minutes until it darkens. Stir in dried oregano and Calabrian chili paste ('nduja) and cook 30 seconds.

Deglaze

Pour in the red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Simmer until reduced by about half, 4–6 minutes.

Braise

Return browned beef and accumulated juices to the pot. Add crushed tomatoes, beef stock, bay leaves and thyme. Season with remaining ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover partially and simmer very gently until beef is fork-tender, 2 to 2½ hours. Stir occasionally and skim fat as needed. If sauce reduces too far, add up to ½ cup more stock or water.

Shred and finish ragù

Remove bay leaves and thyme stems. Transfer beef to a cutting board and shred or chop into bite-sized pieces, discarding any excess connective tissue. Return meat to pot. Simmer uncovered 10–15 minutes to concentrate flavors and thicken sauce to a clingy consistency. Stir in chopped parsley and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

While ragù braises, make the breadcrumbs. Pulse torn bread in a food processor to coarse crumbs (or grate coarsely). Heat a small skillet over medium. Add 3 tbs olive oil and smashed garlic clove; cook until garlic is golden and fragrant, about 1 minute, then remove and discard garlic. Add bread crumbs and toast, stirring, until golden and crisp, 4–6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Calabrian chili flakes, lemon zest, chopped parsley and 1 tsp fine sea salt. Taste and set aside.

Cook pasta

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Cook tagliatelle until al dente according to package or fresh pasta instructions (usually 2–4 minutes for fresh, 8–10 for dried). Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water before draining.

Combine pasta and ragù

Add hot drained tagliatelle to the ragù in the pot (off heat) and toss gently. Add up to ¾ cup reserved pasta water, a little at a time, to loosen and allow sauce to coat the pasta. Add 1 tbs butter and ¾ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and continue tossing until glossy and well combined. Adjust thickness with more pasta water if needed. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

Plate and finish

Divide pasta among warm plates or bowls. Sprinkle generously with Calabrian breadcrumbs and the remaining Parmigiano if desired. Garnish with a small pinch of chopped parsley and an extra drizzle of olive oil or a few flakes of Calabrian chili for heat. Serve immediately.