I'm a total sucker for a hearty pasta dish and I love when I find one that I know will become part of my repertoire. Once that is forgiving, one that I can adapt and call my own, and one that has popular appeal. Some of my all-time favorite pasta dishes that I make on a regular basis are:
I've made a braised short rib with pasta before (with morels, for a recipe challenge), but something about this one seemed more attractive. I watched Giada make it on the Food Network and was immediately hooked. This isn't a weeknight kind of a meal, but a great snowy, Sunday afternoon kind of a dish. The kind where you are cozying in with the fire on, mug of mulled wine, and all the time in the world to wait for a perfectly satisfying dinner. The picture up there doesn't really do it justice. The first night we enjoyed this I tossed it with penne and let the pasta cook in some of the sauce (which is deep, rich and creamy), and that picture above was taken the next day, when I tossed some of the leftover meat with some elbow. So trust me, it's a beautiful dish, and shred some parmesan when serving up, drizzle some truffle oil, and curl up with a big bowl of it.
4 pounds beef short ribs
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
~ 2 cups diced tomatoes (canned)
1 cup red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 pound penne pasta
1 t garam masala
1 t ground cumin
2 t paprika
1 bay leaf
salt, pepper
Place an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Season the ribs with salt and pepper. In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or ovenproof stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. In batches, add the ribs and brown on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the ribs and set aside. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine and mustard. Bring the mixture to a boil and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add bay leaf, and spices. Return the ribs to the pan. Add the beef broth, cover the pan and place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours until the meat is fork-tender and falls easily from the bone.
Remove the ribs from the cooking liquid and toss the bay leaf. Using a large spoon, remove any excess fat from the surface of the cooking liquid. Using a ladle, transfer the cooking liquid in the bowl of a food processor or Vitamix. Process until the mixture is smooth. Alternatively, you can leave the liquid in the pot and use an immersion blender. Pour the sauce back into the pot and keep warm over low heat. Remove the meat from the bones. Discard the bones. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into small pieces. Stir the shredded meat into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until very aldente. Drain the pasta and toss back into pot. Pour about two cups of sauce over pasta and let finish cooking. Serve into bowls and spoon over meat sauce.
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