Beef and Mushroom Ragu over Rigatoni

We woke up to a dreary, cold, and rainy day which made me want comfort food. I had lean chuck roast to use up so I decided to make a ragu sauce with mushrooms. Ragu sauce is typically made with red wine but I didn't have any on hand and I didn't feel like going to the grocery store so I substituted beef broth. I cooked the sauce in the oven for 4 hours until the meat was shredded and tender. The sauce was so flavorful and delicious! I loved this dinner and so did the rest of my family.

Beef and Mushroom Ragu over Rigatoni:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 sweet yellow onion sliced into strips
• 7-8 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced thickly
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2 lbs of lean chuck roast, cubed and trimmed of most of the fat
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 28 oz can of whole plum tomatoes and juices, crushed by hand
• 2 cup of beef broth
• 10 oz of rigatoni, cooked per instructions
• Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Heat 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic, mushrooms, crushed fennel seeds, basil, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Cook, mixing often, for 2-3 minutes. Remove the mixture from the Dutch oven and set aside. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil to the Dutch oven. Once it is HOT add the cubed beef; season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes or until browned. Add the mushroom and onion mixture back into the Dutch oven. Add the tomatoes, crushing them by hand, and their juices; add the beef broth and stir the mixture. Cover with a lid and place into the oven for 4 hours or until the beef is tender and shredded. Taste the sauce and re-season if necessary.

Cook the rigatoni per instructions making sure to season the water well with sea salt. Drain and place into a serving dish. Spoon the ragu over the top and finish with a bit of Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net