Short Rib Pasta Sauce

I love pasta. Sigh.  I prefer my pasta with meat sauce. As much as I love any one of my favorite bolognese sauces and as much as I don't mind browning some ground beef and adding it to a jar of sauce, I do get tired of the same thing again and again. That's what attracted me to this recipe. I was looking for something different to pour over my carbs.

 

Short Rib Pasta Sauce

Taken from Giada de Laurentiis

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Prep time: less than 20 minutes

Cook time: 3 hours

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 oz chopped pancetta or bacon (about 1/2 C)

2 1/2 lb beef short ribs

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 C flour

1 medium onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1/2 C fresh parsley leaves, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (14 oz) can tomatoes (whole or diced)

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1/2 tsp dried rosemary leaves

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried oregano

3 bay leaves

2 1/2 C beef broth

3/4 C red wine

1 pound fresh pasta (linguine or fettuccine)

4 to 6 tsp shaved bittersweet chocolate

Place the olive oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat. Cook the pancetta until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, season the short ribs with salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside.

Add the short ribs to the pan and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes total.

Meanwhile, combine the onion, carrot, parsley and garlic in a food processor and blend until finely minced. Then add the tomatoes and tomato paste and pulse.

Once the short ribs are browned, carefully add the mixture from the food processor to the pot. Return the pancetta to the pot and stir. Add the rosemary, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, beef broth, and wine. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Remove the lid and simmer for another hour and a half, stirring occasionally.

Remove the meat and bones from the pot. Discard the bones. Shred the meat and return it to the pot.

Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the pot and stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta liquid 1/4 cup at a time, if needed, to moisten the pasta.

Transfer to serving bowls, top each bowl with 1 teaspoon of chocolate shavings. Serve immediately.

My Notes:
I made this the first time last fall. It took me forever and a consultation with the butcher to figure out that short ribs were, in fact, beef and not pork. Brad and I both liked it last fall and we liked it again this fall.