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Ingredients
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Short Ribs & Braising Liquid
Pasta & Vegetables
Finishing & Garnish
Method
Short Ribs & Braising Liquid
- 1
Season & Sear
Pat short ribs dry with paper towels. Season all sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. In a large heavy Dutch oven or oven-safe pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear short ribs in batches, 3–4 minutes per side, until deeply browned. Transfer seared ribs to a plate and set aside.
- 2
Sauté Aromatics
Reduce heat to medium. Add diced onion, diced carrots and diced celery to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 6–8 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Stir in 2 tablespoons tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes, scraping up browned bits from the bottom.
- 3
Deglaze & Simmer
Pour in 1 cup dry red wine to deglaze, scraping any fond from the pot. Bring to a simmer and reduce the wine by half, about 4–6 minutes. Return the short ribs to the pot. Add 3 cups beef stock, 1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs fresh thyme and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- 4
- 5
Rest & Strain
Remove short ribs from the braising liquid and set on a tray to rest. Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan, pressing on solids to extract juices. Discard solids and skim excess fat from the surface (or refrigerate briefly and remove congealed fat).
- 6
Reduce Sauce
Bring the strained braising liquid to a gentle boil and reduce until you have about 1 to 1 1/4 cups of sauce (concentrated and glossy), about 8–12 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper. Keep warm.
Pasta & Vegetables
- 7
Prepare Pasta Water
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Add 12 oz mafaldine and cook until just shy of al dente according to package instructions (about 8–10 minutes), reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water before draining.
- 8
Shred Short Ribs & Cook Baby Kale
While pasta cooks, use two forks to remove meat from the short rib bones and shred into bite-sized pieces, discarding bones and excess gristle. In a wide skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add chopped baby kale and sauté 1–2 minutes until wilted but still bright. If kale seems dry, add 2–3 tablespoons reserved braising liquid to steam and coat.
- 9
- 10
Combine Pasta & Sauce
Add the drained mafaldine to the skillet with the wilted kale. Pour in about 1 cup of the reduced braising liquid (or enough to coat) and 2–3 tablespoons reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Add shredded short rib meat and toss gently over medium-low heat until pasta is glossy and sauce clings to the noodles, 1–2 minutes.
Finishing & Garnish
- 11
Finish with Butter & Cheese
Remove skillet from heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, lemon zest (from 1/2 lemon) and chopped parsley. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper. If sauce seems thick, add more reserved pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to reach desired silkiness.
- 12
Plate & Serve
Divide mafaldine among 4 plates (serving bowls). Top each portion with additional shredded short rib and a spoonful of extra reduced braising sauce if desired. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan over the bowls and garnish with extra parsley and a grind of black pepper. Serve immediately.