Bottle-of-Red Wine Sauce
The pleasant acidity and robust flavor in this simple stew comes from an entire bottle of red wine! It's balanced by the deep richness of cleverly broiled beef and veggies -- so you can skip browning them on the stovetop without compromising flavor.
- Level: Easy
- Total: 3 hr 20 min
- Active: 20 min
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
One 750 ml-bottle red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, from 3 to 4 sprigs
1 pound beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Cooked rigatoni, for serving (from a 1-pound box)
Grated Parmesan, for serving
Chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley leaves, for serving
Directions
- Preheat the oven broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Whisk together the wine, tomato paste, thyme and 2 cups water in a large pot and slowly bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Scatter the beef, carrots, garlic and onion on the prepared baking sheet. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Broil until both the beef and vegetables are charred and deeply golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Once the liquid is simmering, gently add the charred beef and vegetables and any liquid from the baking sheet to the pot. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a low simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Uncover and continue to simmer until the beef is very tender and can be easily shredded with a fork, about 1 hour more. Add the butter and stir until melted and the sauce is glossy. Spoon the sauce over warm, cooked rigatoni in a serving platter. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan and parsley.
