Name: Tuscan Short Rib Ragù Over Pasta
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 6 to 8 ounces dried rigatoni or other tubular pasta; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 teaspoon small capers; Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; 1 cup petite diced canned tomatoes, including juice, divided; 1 cup beef broth, divided; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1 bay leaf; ½ tablespoon chopped garlic; ⅓ cup robust Tuscan or other dry red wine; 1 piece orange zest, about 4 inches x ½ inch; ¼ cup (1 ounce) finely diced pancetta or thick sliced bacon; ½ cup finely chopped fennel; 1 small carrot, finely chopped (about ⅓ cup); 1 small sprig fresh rosemary, plus small sprigs for garnish; 1 small onion, finely chopped (about ⅓ cup); 1 small rib of celery, finely chopped (about ⅓ cup); ¾ pound well-trimmed short ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces; Freshly ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus oil to drizzle on the cooked pasta; All-purpose flour, for dredging; Kosher salt or coarse sea salt

Preparation info

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Cast-Iron Cooking for Two

By Joanna Pruess

Published 2019

About

One chilly night, I was craving a dish of succulent braised meat over pasta like I’d eaten in Florence, so I tweaked the bourbon-molasses version in my Cast-Iron Cookbook with some Italian ingredients like pancetta, fennel, capers, and rosemary. Along with the aromatics and tomatoes, the meat simmered in red wine and beef broth until it was fall-off-the-bone tender. We devoured two meaty short ribs apiece, but I felt I’d eaten too much.

To duplicate the comforting aspects of