Pâtes Au Boeuf Recipe

Make the dough

On a clean work surface mound the flour and make a large well in the center. Add the salt to the flour. Crack the eggs into the well and add the olive oil. Using a fork, gently whisk the eggs and gradually incorporate flour from the inner walls of the well until a shaggy dough forms.

Knead

Bring the dough together with your hands and knead vigorously for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. If dough feels very dry, add a teaspoon of water at a time; if too sticky, dust with a little extra flour. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic, and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Roll and cut

Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, flatten and pass through a pasta machine on the widest setting several times, folding once or twice, until smooth. Gradually reduce the setting to roll sheets about 1.5–2 mm thick. Dust with semolina or flour and loosely fold the sheet into thirds then cut into 1-inch to 1.5-inch wide ribbons for pappardelle. Unfold and hang or lay flat to dry slightly while you finish sauce (15–20 minutes).

Prepare the beef

Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels. Season with 1 1/2 tsp salt and the black pepper. Toss the beef with 2 tablespoons of flour until lightly coated, shaking off excess.

Brown the beef

In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. In batches (to avoid crowding), sear the beef until deeply browned on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per batch. Transfer browned beef to a plate and set aside.

Sweat the vegetables

Reduce heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon butter to the pot. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 7–9 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.

Deglaze and build sauce

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to caramelize slightly. Add dried thyme, oregano and the bay leaf. Pour in the red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce by about half, 3–4 minutes.

Simmer

Return the browned beef and any juices to the pot. Add the beef stock so the beef is mostly submerged. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover partially, and cook until the beef is very tender, about 1.5 to 2 hours. Check occasionally and add a splash of stock or water if the sauce reduces too much.

Cook mushrooms

Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium-high heat, add a small splash of olive oil and sauté the quartered mushrooms until golden and any moisture has evaporated, about 6–8 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add mushrooms to the ragout during the last 10 minutes of simmering.

Finish ragout

When beef is fork-tender, remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. If you prefer a creamier finish, stir in 2 tablespoons heavy cream. Stir in chopped parsley and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan to enrich the sauce. Keep warm while you cook pasta.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the fresh pappardelle and cook 2–4 minutes until al dente (fresh pasta cooks quickly). Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then gently lift pasta out with tongs or a spider into the ragout pot.

Toss and finish: Toss the pasta with several spoonfuls of ragout, adding a splash of reserved pasta water as needed to loosen and help the sauce coat the noodles. Heat together for 1 minute so flavors marry. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve: Divide pasta among 4 warm plates. Spoon additional ragout on top, sprinkle with remaining grated Parmesan and chopped parsley. Finish with a drizzle of good olive oil or a few grinds of black pepper if desired.