Sunday Night Pasta Recipe

Prepare short ribs

Pat the short rib pieces dry with paper towels and season lightly with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. This helps browning.

Heat a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbs olive oil and 1/2 tbs butter. When shimmering, add short rib pieces in a single layer (work in batches if needed) and brown on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per side. Remove browned short ribs to a plate.

Add remaining 1 tbs olive oil to the pot. Add ground beef and break up with a spoon; brown until just cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer to the plate with short ribs. Add the sausage to the pot, crumble and brown until cooked, about 4–5 minutes. Transfer to plate with other meats.

Lower heat to medium. Add remaining 1/2 tbs butter. Add diced onion, carrot and celery (mirepoix) and a pinch of salt. Sauté until softened and translucent, about 7–8 minutes. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Add minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, 2–3 minutes until it darkens slightly — this deepens flavor.

Deglaze the pot with the red wine, scraping any fond; let the wine reduce by about half, 3–5 minutes.

Return the browned short ribs, ground beef, and sausage to the pot. Add crushed tomatoes, beef stock, whole milk, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, dried oregano, red pepper flakes (if using), remaining 1 1/2 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp black pepper, and sugar. Stir to combine.

Bring sauce to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low so it barely simmers. Cover partially (lid slightly ajar) and simmer gently for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring every 20–30 minutes so nothing sticks. Short ribs will become fork-tender and impart gelatin to the sauce.

After simmering, remove short rib pieces and thyme stems and bay leaves. Using two forks, shred the short rib meat and return shredded meat to the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or a pinch more sugar if needed. Simmer uncovered 10–15 more minutes to thicken if sauce is too thin.

Stir in chopped fresh parsley and remove from heat. If sauce is very acidic, a splash more milk (1–2 tbs) can be added to mellow flavors.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tbs salt. Add spaghettini and cook according to package for al dente (usually 6–8 minutes). Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water just before draining.

Drain the pasta and immediately add it to the pot with a few ladlefuls of hot meat sauce (or transfer sauce to the pasta pot). Toss pasta with 1/4–1/2 cup of the sauce and up to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water, a drizzle of 1 tsp olive oil, and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan to finish. Toss vigorously for 1–2 minutes so starch from the water helps emulsify sauce to coat the pasta evenly. Add more sauce or water to reach desired consistency.

Portion spaghettini onto plates or a family-style bowl. Spoon additional meat sauce over the top. Sprinkle with remaining grated Parmesan and a little chopped parsley. Offer extra black pepper at the table.