Ox Tail Ragu Pasta
Enhancedby double-smoked bacon and a splash of red wine, our pasta with oxtail ragu recipe boasts a symphony of aromatics, diced vegetables, and a hint of cocoa. The braising cooking technique imparts anamazing depth of flavor into this oxtail rague sauce. All in all, a great pasta dish for those long cold evenings when all you want to do is stay inside. It is made even better when expertly paired with wine.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds oxtails trimmed of excess fat (1.13 kg)
- 1/3 cup double smoked bacon diced (50 g.)
- 3 cups yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 cups carrots peeled and diced
- 1 cup celery stalks diced
- 1 ½ cup red wine such as Chianti 240 ml
- 1 cans diced tomatoes 28 oz/800 g each
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 3 cloves
- 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
- 1 cup water - you may only need to use ½ of this quantity 240 ml
- 3 cups pappardelle or any of your favorite pasta homemade or store bought
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- olive oil for frying
- fresh Italian parsley chopped, for garnish
- grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)
Instructions
Frying Ingredients:
- Season the oxtails generously with salt and black pepper. In a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the oxtails on all sides until golden brown. Remove the oxtails and set them aside.
- If you pan is not large enough you may have to do it batches as the key is not to overcrowd the pan when browning the oxtails. Drain almost all of the rendered fat but leave about 1 ½ tbsp. in the pot; this will be used to cook vegetables.
- In the same pot, add bacon and fry to render bacon fat, about 2-3 minutes. Then, add chopped onion, carrots and celery. Sauté until the vegetables are softened and the onion is translucent. 5-8 minutes.
- Add cocoa powder and mix to combine. Saute briefly, 1 minute, the most.
- Pour in the red wine, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits. Allow the wine to reduce by half, about 5-8 minutes
- Add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, cloves and thyme. Stir to combine. Then, bring everything to a boil.
Braising Oxtails:
- Return the browned oxtails to the pot. Pour in the water, just enough so that the oxtails are mostly submerged. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Cover the pot and transfer it to the preheated oven. Braise the oxtails in the oven for about 3 to 4 ½ hours, or until the meat is tender and falling off the bones.
- Remove the pot from the oven and let the ragu cool down till it is safe to touch. It is best to let the ragu sit overnight and use it in your pasta preparation next day
Making oxtail ragu sauce:
- Remove any excess fat from your ragu. Additionally, remove all aromatics ( bay leaf, cloves, thyme).
- Use tongs to transfer the oxtails to a cutting board. Shred the meat using a fork and discard the bones. Reserve the shredded meat.
- Place the rest of the ragu ingredients into a food processor or use an immersion blender to puree the sauce.
- Next, combine the pureed sauce and shredded oxtail meat in a suitable size pot or a fry pan and bring it to a low simmer. This step should take you about 5 minutes the most.
Cooking the pasta and finishing the dish:
- Meanwhile, cook Pappardelle or your favorite pasta according to the package instructions.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the pot with the oxtail ragu. Once done, toss pasta to coat in the sauce.
Plate the Dish:
- Spoon the pasta with an oxtail ragu onto the individual plates.
- Grate fresh Parmigiano Reggiano and top with chopped fresh parsley.