You know what they say… “what happens on pasta night, stays in pasta night.” What that means is if you want to eat five bowls of Sin City Ragù, no one will ever judge you for it! And once everyone tastes just how delicious the bouncy noodles taste covered in the tomato-y, roast-filled sauce, well, they won’t ever blame you for wanting more! Sin City Ragù is in the cards for you to enjoy guilt-free… all the time!
Ingredients
For the ragù:
- 1 (2-pound) chuck roast, cut into 2-inch-thick cubes
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
For serving:
- spaghetti, to taste, cooked and warm
- parmesan, to taste, freshly grated
- fresh parsley, to taste, chopped
Directions
Step 1 –Season the chuck roast cubes with the salt and the pepper.
Step 2 –In a large stock pot over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
Step 3 –Add the seasoned roast cubes to the oil, in batches, and sear until they are browned on all sides, about 10 minutes per batch.
Step 4 –Transfer the cooked roast cubes to a clean plate and set them aside.
Step 5 –In the same pot over medium heat, add the remaining olive oil and the onion and cook until it is soft, about 6 minutes.
Step 6 –Add the garlic, the fennel seeds, and the red pepper flakes to the onion and cook until they are fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 7 –Add the tomato paste to the onion mixture and cook until it darkens in color, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 8 –Add the red wine to the onion mixture to deglaze pot, scraping any of the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.
Step 9 –Add the peeled tomatoes and their juices, the water, the thyme sprigs, the bay leaf, the balsamic vinegar, the cooked roast cubes, the salt, and the pepper to the onion mixture and stir to combine.
Step 10 –Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, until the roast cubes shred easily and have reached an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees F, about 2 hours-2 hours 30 minutes.
Step 11 –Transfer the pot from the heat and use a wooden spoon to break up the tomatoes and the meat.
Step 12 –Remove and discard the thyme sprigs and the bay leaf.
Step 13 –Serve the sauce over the spaghetti, topped with the parmesan and the parsley.
