Name: Rigatoni with Spiced Beef Ragu
Total time: 3 h 15 min
Ingredients: 1½ cups beef broth; ½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms , rinsed; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 1 onion , chopped fine; 2 garlic cloves , minced; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 3 anchovy fillets , rinsed, patted dry, and minced; ½ teaspoon five-spice powder; ½ cup dry red wine; 1 (14.5-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes , drained with juice reserved, chopped fine; 2 pounds boneless beef short ribs , trimmed; Salt and pepper; 1 pound rigatoni

Rigatoni with Spiced Beef Ragu

By Leah Colins

Published on December 15, 2020

Time

3¼ hours

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

1½ cups beef broth ½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 onion, chopped fine2 garlic cloves, minced1 tablespoon tomato paste 3 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced½ teaspoon five-spice powder ½ cup dry red wine 1 (14.5-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained with juice reserved, chopped fine2 pounds boneless beef short ribs, trimmedSalt and pepper 1 pound rigatoni

Before You Begin

If you can't find boneless short ribs, you can substitute 2½ pounds boneless chuck-eye roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces. We prefer to use our homemade Five-Spice Powder, but you can substitute store-bought five-spice powder. Serve with grated Parmesan if desired. The sauce is great served over polenta as well.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Microwave ½ cup broth and mushrooms in covered bowl until steaming, about 1 minute. Let sit until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain mushrooms in fine-mesh strainer lined with coffee filter, pressing to extract all liquid. Reserve liquid and chop mushrooms fine.

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste, anchovies, and five-spice powder and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture has darkened and fond forms on pot bottom, about 4 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until wine is almost completely evaporated, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and reserved juice, remaining 1 cup broth, reserved mushroom soaking liquid, and mushrooms and bring to simmer.

Season beef with salt and pepper and nestle into pot. Cover, transfer pot to oven and cook for 1 hour. Uncover and continue to cook until beef is tender, 1 to 1¼ hours. Using pot holders, remove pot from oven. Being careful of hot pot handles, use slotted spoon to transfer beef to cutting board. Let beef cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces using 2 forks; discard excess fat. Using wide, shallow spoon, skim excess fat from surface of sauce. Return beef to sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add sauce and toss to combine. Before serving, adjust consistency with reserved cooking water as needed.