Paccheri con Ragù
Napoletano
Large pasta tubes with Neapolitan meat ragù
Large pasta tubes hold a rich tomato ragù made with slowly braised beef, pork ribs and sausage, finished with grated cheese.
Paccheri, tomato & shredded braised meatBig pasta tubes,
a long Neapolitan simmer.
Paccheri con ragù napoletano pairs large pasta tubes with a slow-cooked meat-and-tomato sauce from the Neapolitan tradition. Whole cuts of beef and pork flavor the tomato as they soften, giving a different texture from a ragù made with ground meat.
In many Neapolitan meals the sauce dresses the pasta and the meat follows as a separate course. This home version folds the shredded braised meat back into the sauce, as in the photograph. It makes a substantial pasta dish with basil, red wine and a little grated cheese at the table.
Let’s make paccheri con ragù napoletano.
The retained home preparation folds shredded beef, rib meat and sausage into the sauce. It makes eight generous first-course portions.
Eight generous first-course portions, with shredded meat included in the sauce.
What you’ll need
Ragù
- 45 mlextra-virgin olive oil
- 550 gbeef chuck, cut into 5 cm pieces
- 450 gpork spare ribs, cut into individual ribs
- 225 gmild fresh pork sausages
- 150 gonion, finely diced
- 150 gcarrot, finely diced
- 100 gcelery, finely diced
- 4 clovesgarlic, finely chopped
- 350 mldry red wine
- 900 gcanned whole peeled tomatoes with their juice, crushed
- 250 mllow-sodium beef broth
- 10 gfresh basil with stems
- 5fresh sage leaves
- 30 gParmigiano-Reggiano rind, cleaned
- 1 tspsugar
- to tastefine salt and black pepper
- 250 mlwater, for adjusting the ragù if needed
Pasta and finish
- 640 gdried paccheri
- 5 lwater, for the pasta
- 1 tbspfine salt, for the pasta water
- 80 gParmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated, for serving
The five-hour cooking allowance includes batch browning, a three-hour braise, sauce reduction and heating/cooking the pasta afterward. Tougher meat can need longer. This home recipe serves the shredded meat with the pasta; it does not also promise a separate meat course.
How to make it
- 01
Brown the meats
Heat the oil in a heavy 6 l casserole over medium-high heat. Brown the beef, ribs and sausages in three uncrowded batches, about 8–10 minutes per batch, turning to color the surfaces. Lift onto a plate; the meat will finish cooking in the sauce.
- 02
Make the base
Lower to medium-low heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook for 10 minutes, stirring. Add garlic for 1 minute. Pour in the wine and simmer for 4–5 minutes, scraping the pan.
- 03
Braise gently
Add tomatoes, broth, basil, sage, cheese rind, sugar and a little salt and pepper. Return the meat and its juices. Bring to a gentle simmer, partially cover and cook over very low heat for about 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Add some of the measured 250 ml water if needed; beef and rib meat should pull apart easily.
- 04
Shred and reduce
Lift out the meats. Discard herb stems, sage leaves and cheese rind. Pull beef and rib meat apart with forks, carefully discard all bones and hard cartilage, and break up the sausages. Return the meat to the sauce and simmer uncovered for 20–30 minutes until thick and glossy. Taste for seasoning.
- 05
Cook the paccheri
Once the ragù is ready, bring the 5 l water to a boil and add its salt. Cook paccheri for 1 minute less than the packet’s al dente timing. Reserve 500 ml cooking water before draining.
- 06
Combine in two batches
In a large wide pan, gently toss half the pasta with half the ragù and 60 ml reserved water over low heat for 1–2 minutes. Add more water if needed for a coating sauce. Repeat with the rest. Divide among eight bowls and finish with grated cheese.
More to discover…
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