Slow-Simmered Ground Beef Ragu with Pasta

Ingredients

For the Ground Beef Ragu

1½ pounds ground beef

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

1 small carrot, finely diced

1 celery stalk, finely diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes

½ cup dry red wine, optional

½ cup beef broth or water

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 small Parmesan rind, optional

1 teaspoon sugar, optional, if the tomatoes are acidic

For the Pasta

1 pound short pasta, such as rigatoni, mezzi rigatoni, paccheri, heart-shaped pasta, or another ridged pasta

Salt, for the pasta water

½–1 cup reserved pasta cooking water

¾ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving

1 tablespoon butter or extra-virgin olive oil, optional

Fresh basil or parsley, optional for garnish

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Instructions

Prepare the Aromatics:
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.

Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for about 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables become soft and lightly golden.

Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30–60 seconds, just until fragrant.

Brown the Ground Beef:
Add the ground beef to the pot and increase the heat slightly.

Break the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon and cook for about 7–10 minutes, until deeply browned and no longer pink.

If the beef releases a large amount of fat, carefully remove some while leaving a little behind for flavor.

Add the Tomato Paste:
Stir the tomato paste into the beef and vegetables.

Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste becomes darker and begins coating the bottom of the pot. This step gives the ragu a deeper, richer flavor.

Deglaze the Pot:
If using red wine, pour it into the pot and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.

Let the wine simmer for 2–3 minutes until it reduces slightly.

Build the Ragu:
Add the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, oregano, basil, Italian seasoning, black pepper, crushed red pepper, salt, and Parmesan rind if using.

Stir everything together and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.

Slow-Simmer the Sauce:
Reduce the heat to low and partially cover the pot.

Let the ragu simmer gently for about 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally. For an even deeper flavor, simmer it for up to 1½–2 hours, adding a splash of water or broth if the sauce becomes too thick.

Taste toward the end and adjust the salt, pepper, or sugar if needed.

Cook the Pasta:
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.

Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, following the package directions.

Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water.

Combine the Pasta and Ragu:
Remove the Parmesan rind from the sauce.

Add the drained pasta directly to the pot of ragu and toss thoroughly over low heat.

Pour in about ¼ cup of reserved pasta water and continue tossing. Add more, a little at a time, until the sauce becomes glossy and clings to the ridges and hollows of the pasta.

Stir in the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Add butter or a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil if you want an even silkier finish.

Serve:
Spoon the pasta into warm bowls and finish generously with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Add fresh basil, parsley, black pepper, or a small drizzle of olive oil if desired.

Serve immediately while the pasta is hot and the ragu is glossy and rich.

Helpful Tip

The final toss with starchy pasta water is important. Instead of simply pouring sauce over cooked pasta, finishing the noodles directly in the ragu helps the starch emulsify with the tomato sauce and beef fat, creating the glossy coating seen in the photo.