Maccheroni Al Sugo Toscano Recipe

Prepare ingredients

Pat the beef pieces dry with paper towels and season evenly with 1 tsp of the salt and 1/2 tsp of the black pepper. Finely chop the onion, carrot, celery, pancetta and mince the garlic. Measure out wine, stock, milk and tomatoes.

Brown pancetta and vegetables

Heat a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 tbs olive oil and the butter. When shimmering, add the chopped pancetta and cook 3–4 minutes until it begins to render fat. Add the chopped onion, carrot and celery and a pinch of salt; sweat the vegetables over medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes until softened and beginning to color. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.

Brown the beef

Push the sofrito (vegetable mix) to the sides, increase heat to medium-high and add the remaining 1 tbs olive oil. Add the beef in a single layer (work in batches if necessary) and brown well on all sides, about 6–8 minutes total. Browning adds flavor; don’t overcrowd the pot. Season with the remaining salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper as you brown.

Deglaze with Chianti

Once beef is browned, stir in the tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to caramelize. Pour in the Chianti wine to deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce by about half, 4–6 minutes, to concentrate flavor and cook off alcohol.

Simmer the ragù

Add the crushed tomatoes, beef stock, dried thyme, bay leaf and the optional 1/2 tsp sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover partially with a lid (leave a gap for steam) and simmer gently for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If liquid reduces too quickly, add a splash of stock or water to maintain a gentle simmer.

Finish with milk

After 1 hour 30 minutes, add the milk, stir and simmer uncovered for another 30–45 minutes until the beef is very tender and sauce is thick and glossy. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove and discard the bay leaf. If the sauce is still too thin, simmer a little longer; if it’s too thick, add up to 50 ml stock.

Shred or cut beef

Remove a few pieces to a cutting board and shred or finely chop with two forks or a knife, then return to the sauce to distribute meat evenly. Keep ragù warm while you cook the pasta.

Cook pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add 2 tbs salt. Add the maccheroni and cook until just shy of al dente (about 1–2 minutes less than package directions) — reserve 240 ml of pasta cooking water before draining.

Combine pasta and ragù

Add the drained pasta to the ragù in the Dutch oven (or return ragù to a large skillet). Toss over medium heat, adding 100–150 ml of the reserved pasta water as needed, until the pasta finishes cooking in the sauce and the sauce clings to the pasta, 1–2 minutes. This final risottatura helps the sauce emulsify with the pasta starch.

Finish and serve

Remove from heat and stir in 3/4 of the grated Grana Padano and the chopped parsley. Taste and add a drizzle (about 1 tsp) of extra-virgin olive oil and adjust seasoning if necessary. Divide among warm bowls, sprinkle remaining Grana Padano over each portion and finish with an extra pinch of black pepper and parsley as desired.