INCREDIBLE BEEF SHIN RAGU WITH PAPPARDELLE RECIPE BY DIANA HENRY

This pasta is an absolute staple in the Vinca household. Trust us when we say this recipe will knock your socks off.

Beef shin ragu pasta is a hearty and comforting dish that pairs so well with red wine. It's easy to make, and looks and tastes really impressive. It's traditionally made with slow-cooked beef shin or beef shank that is braised in red wine and tomato sauce until it becomes tender and flavourful. Given it's not a popular cut, it's also cost-effective.

Imagine how impressed your friends will be when you toss the pasta through that rich slow cooked beef. Served with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and some fresh basil. In this blog, we'll share a classic beef shin ragu pasta recipe from Diana Henry that is perfect for two people.

Recipe

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 500g beef shin (off the bone), cut into good-sized chunks
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 1 garlic clove, grated to a purée
• 200ml red wine
• 400ml good beef stock
• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 2 bay leaves
• 400g pappardelle
• Freshly grated Parmesan, to serve
• Method
• Preheat the oven to 150C/140C fan/gas mark 2.

Heat the olive oil in a casserole and brown the beef shin all over. It’s important to get a good colour on it. Do this in batches if you need to. Remove the beef to a bowl as it’s ready.

Add the vegetables to the pan and cook over a medium heat until they’re beginning to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the beef, along with any juices that have run out of it, back to the pan, then add the wine, stock and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Throw in the rosemary and bay, and season.

Cover the pan and put it in the oven. Cook on this low heat for 6-7 hours (check it after 6 hours to see if it’s already tender enough and to keep an eye on the amount of liquid in the pan).

The meat should be falling apart and the vegetables should have collapsed to make a sauce. If the mixture is too thick, you can add a little of the pasta cooking water, but if it’s too thin, cook it on a very low heat on the hob so that the juices gradually reduce.

Leave the lid off if you’re trying to reduce the sauce. Remove the rosemary and bay, and check the seasoning.

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until it’s al dente. Drain and add it back to the pan. Ladle in enough of the sauce to coat the pasta and serve with the Parmesan and fresh basil on top.

Wine Pairing:

Beef shin ragu pasta is a classic dish that pairs well with a bold and full-bodied red wine. The Vinca Red Wine works so well with this dish, the dark bramble fruit and the freshness of the Frappato really compliment each other.

Recipe cred it Diana Henry who wrote this recipe for The Telegraph. You can find the recipe here.