Piccola Trattoria Braised Beef Short Rib Copy-Cat Recipe

Johnathan and I have an absolute passion for good food, and good Italian food is one of our favorites. We have some amazing restaurants in the Santa Clarita Valley for top-notch service and amazing food. Notably, Piccola Trattoria located at 18302 Sierra Hwy #107, Santa Clarita, CA 91351 is one of our favorite date night go tos. Johnathan orders one dish almost every time we go, the Braised Short Rib Ragu. It tastes divine. A savory, beef and tomato based pasta dish that will go perfect on the cooler evenings of the upcoming fall season. 

Piccola prices can be a bit expensive for us to go as often as we would like to eat good Italian food. Due to it's popularity it can be hard to get a reservations some nights as well. We love a good challenge and we love to cook...so we started trying out recipes we found online that looked similar to the one we loved at Piccola. We found one very close, and it is amazing! We thought we would share what we found with you in case you wanted to make this dish at home too. Don’t forget to stop at our favorite Santa Clarita store we talk about HERE for authentic Italian ingredients to make this dish a home run. 

Slowly Braised Beef Short Rib Ragu

 Author: Jess Larson

•  Prep Time: 25 minutes

•  Cook Time: 3 hours

•  Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

•  Yield: serves 10-12 

Description

Beef short ribs slowly braise until fall-apart tender with simple vegetables, fresh herbs, tomatoes, & red wine, creating a hearty, & boldly flavored ragu. Toss it into pappardelle or any pasta you love or serve it atop polenta or gnocchi. Slowly Braised Short Rib Ragu is the ultimate Italian comfort food meal!

Ingredients

for the Slowly Braised Short Rib Ragu sauce:

• 4 pounds English cut beef short ribs

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 3 large carrots, peeled & diced

• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced

• 1 stalk celery, finely diced

• 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated

• 6 ounces tomato paste

• 1 cup dry red wine

• one (1) 0.75-ounce package fresh “poultry herb blend” (or approx. 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, 4 sprigs fresh sage leaves & 12 sprigs fresh thyme)

• 2 bay leaves

• optional: 1 parmesan rind

• 14 ounces crushed tomatoes

• 2 cups low-sodium beef broth/stock or water

• kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season

for Short Rib Ragu pasta:

• 24 ounces pappardelle or pasta of choice, such as casarecce, bucatini, or gnocchi

• ½ cup heavy cream

• ½ cup grated parmesan

• for serving, as desired: grated parmesan, finely chopped fresh herbs, etc.

Instructions

Braised Short Rib Ragu Sauce:

1. Brown the short ribs: Add the olive oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot (I use a 5-qt Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Use a paper towel to pat the surface of the beef short ribs as dry as possible. Generously season the short ribs with 1 heaping tablespoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Once the oil in the pot is shimmering hot, carefully add in the seasoned short ribs. Work in batches, as necessary, to avoid overcrowding the pot (which prevents browning). Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Transfer the browned short ribs to a plate & set aside. Repeat, as necessary, with the remaining short ribs. Once all of the short ribs are browned, carefully drain off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from the pot. Set aside & discard once cooled. Returning the pot to medium heat.

2. Brown the soffritto: Add the soffritto (carrots, onion, & celery) to the same pot used to brown the short ribs, seasoning with 1 teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Stir to combine & cook, stirring occasionally, until the soffritto is deeply browned, 15-20 minutes.

3. Add aromatics. Add the garlic to the pot with the soffritto. Stirring constantly, cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato paste to the pot, stirring to coat the soffritto. Cook 2-3 minutes, until browned.

4. Deglaze: Increasing the heat to medium-high, pour the red wine into the pot. Stir constantly, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that may have formed at the bottom of the pot. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the wine is almost completely absorbed into the soffritto.

5. Build & simmer the short rib ragu: Tie the herbs together using kitchen twine (or finely chop if you do not have twine), then add to the pot with the bay leaves & parmesan rind (if using). Add the crushed tomatoes, beef broth/stock (or water), & browned short ribs from Step 1. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a low. Cover & simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 1/2 – 3 hours, or until the short ribs are fall-apart tender. If the ragu begins to reduce too much (i.e. it loses too much of its liquid too quickly), feel free to add in a splash more water &/or reduce the heat further. 

6. Finish the braised short rib ragu: Carefully transfer the short ribs to a plate or cutting board. At this point, you can remove & discard the spent herbs, bay leaves, & parmesan rind from the pot, as well. Use tongs or 2 forks to shred the short ribs into bite-sized pieces, discarding the bones as you go. Return the shredded short ribs to the pot with the ragu. Stir to combine. At this point, you can cool & store for later use, or proceed with making the short rib ragu pasta (below).

Short Rib Ragu Pasta:

1. Boil the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked to al dente according to package directions. Carefully dip a liquid measuring cup into the pot, reserving about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, and set aside. Carefully drain the pasta – do NOT rinse it!

2. Finish the short rib ragu sauce: Meanwhile, as the pasta boils, bring the braised short rib ragu up to a simmer. Stir in the heavy cream & parmesan cheese. Continue to simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally.

3. Short rib ragu pappardelle: Add the cooked pasta to the pot with the braised short rib ragu sauce, tossing to coat. The short rib ragu should evenly coat the pasta. Add in some of the reserved pasta water if the ragu needs to loosen up a little; add in an extra handful of parmesan if it needs to tighten up a little. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, allowing the pasta to meld with & absorb some of the ragu.

4. Serve: Portion the short rib ragu pappardelle into individual pasta bowls, topping with additional grated parmesan, chopped fresh herbs, &/or crushed red pepper as desired. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Written by Jessica Frank

Recipe by Jess Larson at https://playswellwithbutter.com

Johnathan and Jessica Frank are a part of the Cat and Paul Real Estate Team, the #1 Keller Williams Real Estate Team in the Santa Clarita Valley and surrounding communities.  If you would like to receive our newsletter with more articles like this that feature things to do, where to go and what to eat in the Santa Clarita Valley, please subscribe to our newsletter at the top of the page.