Tagliatelle with Wine- Braised Short Ribs

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  • Level: Intermediate
  • Total: 4 hr 45 min
  • Active: 1 hr 40 min
  • Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Braised short ribs are perfect for a low maintenance show-stopping, hearty holiday dinner. These short ribs are slowly braised with aromatic vegetables and red wine, until meltingly tender. They are then shredded and served with fresh pasta tossed with butter, Parmesan and black pepper. Even better, they can be made ahead and simply reheated when it’s time to eat.

Ingredients

Fresh Tagliatelle

Directions

  1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and remove the top rack; preheat to 375˚ F. Season the short ribs generously all over with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the short ribs in 2 batches and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Remove the short ribs to a plate; pour off all but 1/4 cup of the drippings.
  2. Add the carrot, onion, fennel and pancetta to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are coated and the paste is brick red, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add the wine to the pot, bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by about two-thirds, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chicken broth and return to a simmer. Meanwhile, wrap the rosemary, sage, bay leaves and whole peppercorns in an 8-inch square of cheesecloth; tie closed. Add the bundle to the pot. When the mixture comes to a simmer, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Return the short ribs to the pot. Cover the pot, transfer to the oven and braise until the meat is very tender and the sauce has thickened slightly, 2 1/2 hours to 2 3/4 hours.
  4. Carefully put the pot back on the stove and remove the lid. Discard the cheesecloth bundle. Remove the short ribs to a baking sheet using tongs and discard the bones. Break up the meat into large chunks. Return the meat to the pot along with any liquid from the baking sheet and stir to combine; season with salt and pepper. Spoon off any fat that pools on top.
  5. To serve, top the short ribs on the tagliatelle with parsley, Parmesan and pepper.

Fresh Tagliatelle

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
  1. Pulse the flour and a big pinch of salt in a food processor to combine. Whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks and olive oil in a bowl. Slowly add the egg mixture to the food processor with the machine running to form a rough, sticky dough.
  2. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead several times, sprinkling with flour if sticky, until the dough is smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside to rest 30 minutes.
  3. Set up your pasta maker. Unwrap the dough and cut into 6 pieces; press each into a rectangle. Cover 5 pieces and set aside. Lightly flour the remaining piece of dough and run it through the widest setting of the pasta maker. Fold in half and feed it through the same setting. Move to the next setting and feed the dough through this setting twice, lightly flouring as needed (do not fold). Repeat until you’ve reached the third-to-last setting. The dough should be about 1/8 inch thick but not transparent. If it’s too long to manage, cut it in half crosswise. Lightly flour the dough and set aside. Repeat with the remaining 5 pieces of dough.
  4. Attach the tagliatelle or fettuccine cutter to your pasta maker. Feed each dough sheet through the cutter, gathering the strands on the other side. Lightly sprinkle the strands with flour and form into loose nests.
  5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl and toss with the butter and reserved cooking water. Stir in the Parmesan and a generous amount of coarse pepper; season with salt. Serve with more Parmesan.