Savory Slow-Cooked Beef Ragu with Gemelli Pasta

Ingredients:

- 4lbs chuck roast, quartered
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 cups red wine (I use Chianti)
- 1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes (San Marzano is best!)
- 2 cups beef stock
- 2 sprigs fresh Rosemary
- 1 sprig fresh sage
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1lbs Gemelli pasta, cooked according to instructions
- Chopped parsley to serve
- Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano to serve

Preparation:

- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Season the beef with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil on a large oven-proof Dutch oven over medium high heat. When the oil is sizzling hot, brown the meat on all sides, about 5 minutes, working in batches if necessary. Remove the beef from the pot and reserve.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion and garlic to the same pot and sauté until fragrant and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the carrot and the celery and sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the flour and the tomato paste, stir and cook for a minute to get rid of the raw flour taste. Then add the balsamic vinegar and cook, scrapping the bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, until almost all gone, about 5 minutes.

- Add the red wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 more minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare bouquet garni by tying all the fresh herbs together with a kitchen string.
- When the wine has reduced, add back the browned beef and the bouquet garni. Add the crushed tomatoes and the beef stock.
- Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium high heat. Then, cover the dutch oven and transfer to the preheated oven. Cook for 3 hours or until the beef is very tender.
- If the sauce is too liquidy at the end of the 3 hour cooking period, remove the beef and bring the liquid to the stovetop, over medium heat, to simmer until thickened to your likings.
- Discard the bouquet garni.
Shred the meat into smaller pieces and return to the pot with the sauce. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.


- Cook the pasta, according to package instructions, until al dente.
- Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the pasta water. Spoon a little of the tomato sauce over the pasta and toss, adding pasta water if necessary.
- Serve the pasta with the ragu (and some more sauce). Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

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