This One Pot Short Rib Bolognese is exactly what what I want to eat every snowy winter night from now until eternity. It’s rich, hearty, and the perfect meal to cook low and slow all day long.

One Pot Short Rib Bolognese

I’m not normally a heavy, meat- sauce kind of gal when it comes to pasta. I prefer a creamy white sauce bathing my noodles most of the time, but once winter hits, give me all the spaghetti & meatballs, all the pork ragu, and all the hearty meat-based, red-sauced pastas you can.

There’s something about a slow-cooked ragu or braised meat that to me, screams winter. And much like a bowl of soup, can bring back that warm glow the blistering air seems to steal away. Both as I’m cooking it and while I’m inhaling it.

This One Pot Short Rib Bolognese is comfort in a bowl. It takes all the classic components of a short rib ragu and combines it with a classic bolognese sauce. All of the dish, from the sauce to the pasta is cooked in one pot! 

What is Bolognese Sauce??

Bolognese is one of my favorite meat sauces to cook on a day where I don’t feel like leaving the house, since it cooks nice and slow and gives me a reason to stay huddled near the stove. Buuut I also love the texture of a braised cut of beef or pork, so I thought I’d join the two forces together for the perfect Bolognese braised hybrid.

In short, a classic Bolognese is essentially a meat sauce. Typically it’s slow-cooked over a very long period of time, anywhere from three to four hours. It usually has some type of red or white wine in it, and uses some form of dairy to finish it off – whole milk or heavy cream in most cases.

It’s also full of aromatic veggies such as chopped carrot, celery, onion and garlic, and slow-cooked with the wine of your choice, canned tomatoes, and a few other seasonings. Basically it’s simmered on a low heat until it’s reduced, thick, and not only permeating your entire house, but basically your neighbor’s house as well. It’s that intoxicating.

Why Short Ribs?

A bolognese is usually made with ground beef or pork, but I just adore the richness of short ribs and  associate them with this time of year, so it made perfect sense to swap out the ground beef and pork for them. Plus, it’s just a little fancier than ground beef or ground pork.

How to make Short Rib Bolognese

• Cook the short ribs in a little bit of butter and olive oil until they’re super brown and crusty.
• Take the short ribs out and throw in the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Sauté until they’re soft and fragrant, about 5-6 minutes. 
• Pour in a good amount of white wine.
• Stir in tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and seasoning.
• Cook low and slow until the meat is falling off the bone, and PERFECT.

Secret Ingredient

Parmesan cheese rind!  I like to throw in a parmesan cheese rind or two in to the mix — this step is a must! It adds a luscious, nutty and buttery underlying flavor I just can’t get enough of. I always stash a few in the freezer when my parmesan cheese runs out and then pull it out as needed.

Finish it off!

You know it’s done when the meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender, all of the short ribs come out, a little bit of liquid is added in, and the egg papparadelle goes directly in to the pot to cook while you shred the beef.  Before serving, the beef goes back in to the pot with the pasta, it’s seasoned with salt and pepper, covered in parmesan cheese, and it’s ready to go.

Keep in mind, you may or may not need more liquid as you go. Depending on the moisture level in the air, you might need to add a little bit more water if you see the sauce is drying up. You can also use beef broth if you have it on hand.

Substitutions and Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success

• When browning the short ribs, don’t move them until they release from the pan easily. When they’re brown, they’ll release! 
• Season the short ribs with plenty of salt! 
• Feel free to swap out red wine for the white wine.
• Keep an eye on the pasta while it cooks, if needed, add more water. 

For more one pot dish, check out these posts!

This One Pot Summer Tomato Pasta is the perfect way to use up those summer tomatoes that keep coming. This Easy One Pan Greek Salmon is baked and tossed with Kalamata olives, feta, and red onion. Sheet Pan Chicken Parmesan is a family favorite, especially for the kiddos. 

Pretty things/Tools Used in Today’s Post!

Le Creuset Dutch Oven
Similar, less expensive Dutch Oven

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One Pot Short Rib Bolognese

This One Pot Short Rib Bolognese is exactly what what I want to eat every snowy winter night from now until eternity. It’s rich, hearty, and the perfect meal to cook low and slow all day long.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword short rib bolgonese, short rib ragu, meat sauce

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 5 hours 30 minutes

Total Time 5 hours 55 minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 566 kcal

Author Nicole

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lbs beef short ribs
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 cup diced carrot
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
• 28 oz san marzano peeled whole tomatoes
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 parmesan cheese rind
• 10 oz egg papparadelle
• 2/3 cup water

Instructions

1. Season short ribs liberally with salt and pepper.

2. Heat a large dutch oven to a medium-high heat. Add butter and olive oil, Once the butter melts, add short ribs. Cook short ribs until brown and crusty on all sides, about 10-15 minutes.

3. While the short ribs brown, add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to a food processor. Pulse until VERY finely chopped.

4. After short ribs brown, remove from the pot, Drain all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Add carrot and celelry mixture, along with 1/2 tsp salt. Reduce heat to medium and saute mixture until slightly softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add tomato paste, cook 1 minute. Add in wine, simmer until reduced, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in remaining salt, canned tomatoes, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and parmesan cheese rind. Stir to combine.

5. Put the short ribs back in the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, and reduce to low. Cover with a lid and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until the meat is fork-tender and falling off the bone.

6. Once the meat is cooked, remove them from the pot along with the parmesan cheese rind. Stir in water. Bring to a simmer and add in pasta. Cover and simmer until pasta is cooked, about 8-10 minutes. If needed, stir once or twice to prevent pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

7. As pasta cooks, shred beef.

8. Once pasta has cooked, add beef back to the pot. Toss together. If necessary, add a bit more water to thin out the sauce.

9. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Facts

One Pot Short Rib Bolognese

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 566 Calories from Fat 189

% Daily Value*

Fat 21g32%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Cholesterol 126mg42%

Sodium 893mg39%

Potassium 1116mg32%

Carbohydrates 49g16%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 10g11%

Protein 36g72%

Vitamin A 3087IU62%

Vitamin C 14mg17%

Calcium 87mg9%

Iron 6mg33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.