Slow-Cooked Shredded Beef Ragu Pasta

Step 1: Pat the beef dry and sprinkle it with salt and pepper.

Step 2: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy-based pot over high heat. Add the beef and sear each piece on all sides until very browned, 3–5 minutes total. Transfer the beef to a plate.

Step 3: Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and sauté slowly for 5 minutes, until they sweeten.

Step 4: Add the remaining ragu ingredients and return the beef to the pot, including any pooled juices. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low so it bubbles very gently.

Tip: Keep the simmer gentle to help prevent the sauce from burning on the bottom of the pot.

Step 5: Cover the pot and cook for 2–2½ hours, or until the beef is tender enough to shred. Check it after 2 hours. Well-marbled meat may cook faster than leaner, tougher cuts.

Step 6: Remove the beef and coarsely shred it with 2 forks. Return it to the pot and simmer uncovered on low for 30 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and thickened.

Step 7: Taste the sauce and adjust the salt and pepper. If it tastes too sour, add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Cover and set the ragu aside until ready to serve.

Step 8: Bring a very large pot of water with 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it for 1 minute less than the package recommends.

Step 9: While the pasta cooks, put 5 cups of ragu in a very large frying pan or pot and heat over medium-high heat. If the ragu is already warm, skip this step and toss the pasta and sauce together in the pot used to cook the pasta.

Step 10: Before draining the pasta, scoop out a mugful of pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and add it to the ragu with about 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Gently toss over medium-high heat for 1–2 minutes, until the water evaporates and the sauce thickly coats the pasta. If the sauce gets too thick, loosen it with more pasta cooking water.

Step 11: Serve immediately with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan or Parmigiano Reggiano.