Beef Ragu Pappardelle
Rich beefy pasta when you want comfort without babysitting a long sauce.
If you want something cozy but still realistic on a tired weeknight, this is the move. It gives you the deep, savory feel of a slow-cooked beef ragù without asking for hours at the stove. You brown the beef, build a quick tomato-rich sauce, and toss it with wide pappardelle so every bite feels a little luxurious. It is not a Sunday-simmered sauce, and that is the point: you get comfort, warmth, and a full dinner on the table in under 45 minutes. Perfect for chilly nights, post-work hunger, or when takeout sounds tempting but pasta sounds better.
Ingredients
- 12 oz pappardelle pasta
- 1 lb ground beef — 85/15 or leaner
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 unit yellow onion — finely chopped
- 2 unit garlic cloves — minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 0.5 tsp salt — plus more for pasta water
- 0.25 tsp black pepper
- 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes — optional
- 0.25 cup heavy cream — optional for a softer, richer sauce
- 0.25 cup grated Parmesan
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley — for serving
Method
- 1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pappardelle until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
- 2 While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion and cook, breaking up the beef, until browned and the onion softens, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- 3 Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring so the paste darkens a little.
- 4 Stir in the beef broth, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
- 5 If you want a richer, softer sauce, stir in the heavy cream. Add the drained pappardelle and toss with the sauce, adding splashes of reserved pasta water as needed so it coats the noodles well.
- 6 Finish with Parmesan and parsley. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed, then serve hot.
Variations
- Vegetarian swap — Use 2 cups chopped mushrooms plus 1 can drained lentils instead of the beef for a hearty mushroom-lentil ragù.
- Faster swap — Use one 24 oz jar of marinara and skip the cream for a simpler version that still feels cozy.
- Easy substitutions — Swap pappardelle for tagliatelle, fettuccine, or rigatoni, and use grated Pecorino if you do not have Parmesan.
Notes
For the best texture, stop simmering when the sauce is still a little loose; the pasta will absorb more of it. If your sauce gets too thick, loosen it with reserved pasta water instead of more broth. Leftovers reheat well with a splash of water over low heat.
Equipment that helps
- Large skillet — It gives the sauce enough surface area to brown the beef and reduce quickly.
- Large pot — The wide noodles cook more evenly when they have room to move.
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