Wagyu Ragu Recipe

Prepare vegetables

Finely dice the onion, carrot, and celery so they are roughly the same small size (about 1/8–1/4 inch). Mince the garlic and set aside.

Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter. When the butter has melted and is foaming, add the diced onion, carrot, and celery.

Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and starting to color lightly, about 8–12 minutes. Reduce heat if they brown too quickly—goal is braising, not frying.

Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the milk, stir and simmer until most of the milk has evaporated/absorbed, about 2–3 minutes. This step mellows acidity and enriches the base.

Increase heat to medium-high. Push the mirepoix to the side and add the Wagyu to the center of the pot (if using coarsely chopped Wagyu, pat dry with paper towel and brown in batches). Season the meat with 1 tsp of the salt and 1/2 tsp of the pepper.

Brown the Wagyu without overcrowding, breaking it up with a wooden spoon into coarse pieces. Cook until most of the pink is gone and meat has good sear, about 6–8 minutes total. If the pan becomes very dry, add a splash of olive oil.

Sprinkle the flour over the meat and vegetables and stir for 1 minute to cook the raw flour taste and help thicken the sauce.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping any brown bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce by half, about 3–4 minutes.

Add the veal demi-glace, beef stock, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste. Stir to combine, making sure no lumps of paste remain. Add the remaining 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves.

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low so the ragu maintains a very low simmer (few small bubbles). Partially cover and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes, until sauce is thickened and flavors have concentrated. If it reduces too much, add up to 1/2 cup hot water or stock.

Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. If you want a smoother texture, use an immersion blender for a few pulses to slightly break up larger meat pieces—do not puree completely; keep some texture.

Stir in chopped parsley and keep warm while you cook the pasta.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a vigorous boil. Add the pipe rigate and cook to 1–2 minutes less than package directions for al dente (usually 8–10 minutes depending on pasta). Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.

Drain the pasta and return to the pot off the heat. Add about 3/4 to 1 cup of the hot ragu to the pasta along with 1/2 cup reserved pasta water and 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil. Toss vigorously so the sauce clings to the pasta, adding more cooking water by tablespoons if needed to reach a glossy, saucy consistency.

Plate the pasta, spoon additional ragu on top, finish with a generous sprinkle of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and a light drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.