PAPPARDELLE WITH BEEF SUGO AND RICOTTA

Pappardelle with beef sugo and ricotta image

Categories Sauce Beef Low Sodium Ricotta Simmer Boil

Yield serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, wiped of grit
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large white onion, finely chopped
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 15-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
3 cups shredded, Slow-Roasted Boneless Short Ribs (page 148)
1 cup dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
1 quart low-sodium beef broth
1 pound dried pappardelle
1/2 head escarole (see Note, page 106), cut lengthwise through the core
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus
more for serving
1/4 cup Fresh Homemade Ricotta (page 236) or store-bought ricotta
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Steps:

To reconstitute the porcini, put the mushrooms in a bowl and pour hot water over them to cover, about 2 cups. Soak until the mushrooms soften, 30 minutes. Carefully lift the mushrooms out of the liquid with a fork, so as not to disturb the sediment settling at the bottom. Coarsely chop the mushrooms; you should have about 3/4 cup. Strain the porcini soaking water into a measuring cup through a coffee filter or a double layer of paper towels; you should have 1 1/2 cups.
Put a large skillet over medium heat and coat with 2 tablespoons of the oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Toss in half of the garlic, all of the thyme and rosemary, and season with salt and pepper. Add the chopped porcini, the tomatoes, and the short ribs. Stir everything together and cook for about 5 minutes. Pour in the wine and continue to cook until the liquid has evaporated, roughly 10 minutes. Pour in the broth and reserved porcini water. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. You should have about 6 cups of sauce.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pappardelle, give it a good stir, and cook until tender but still firm to the bite (al dente), 8 to 10 minutes.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the escarole. Put a skillet over medium heat and coat with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the remaining garlic and stir until golden, only about 30 seconds. Add the escarole, stirring to coat with oil, and raise the heat to high. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the escarole is wilted and most of its liquid has evaporated, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add half of the sugo to the escarole and stir to combine. (Let the remaining sauce cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.)
To serve, drain the pasta and put it back in the pot. Add the escarole and sauce, along with the butter and Parmesan, tossing to coat the pasta evenly. Divide among 4 plates. Top each with a spoonful of ricotta and shower with chopped parsley. Pass more grated cheese at the table.