This is the ideal pasta dish for when you want something easy but still special. The short ribs become tender and delicious from slow-braising in a tomato and red wine sauce, then get tossed with pasta and lots of parmesan. The beauty of this dish is that there’s little active effort, so all you have to do is sear the ingredients then set and forget it.

Ingredients:

• 3 lb beef short ribs
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt to taste
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 2 stalks of celery, finely diced
• 4 cloves of minced garlic
• 2 tsp tomato paste
• 14 oz crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup dry red wine (I use cabernet sauvignon)
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 lb dry pasta of choice

Directions:

1. Pat the short ribs dry with a paper towel and season generously with coarse salt on all sides.
2. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the short ribs and sear for a few minutes on all sides until they develop a brown crust.
3. Remove the short ribs from the pan and transfer to a plate. Spoon out any excess rendered fat, leaving only about a tablespoon of oil in the pan.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Season with salt and cook until softened.
5. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
6. Add the tomato paste and cook for a few minutes until darkened in color. Deglaze with a cup of red wine. Cook for a few minutes until the wine reduces by half.
7. Add in the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, bay leaves, and rosemary. Return short ribs to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cover and let simmer for 3 hours.
8. After 3 hours, the meat should be very tender. Remove the short ribs from the pot, along with the rosemary stalks and bay leaves. Shred the meat from the short ribs and return the meat to the sauce.
9. In a separate pot, set the water to boil for your pasta. Salt the water well and cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
10. Add the pasta to the ragu along with a few ladles of pasta water to help the sauce come together (add a little pasta water at a time; you likely will not need the full cup). Once the pasta is saucy and well-coated, transfer it to your serving plates and top with fresh parmesan and basil.