Calabrian Chili Pepper Short Rib Ragù with Pappardelle

A rich, spicy short rib sauce served atop basil laminated egg pappardelle. A hearty, cozy dinner for a cold winter night.

Now that it’s December I must accept that the best time of the year has come and gone. Winter is a polarizing season, garnering passionate lovers and haters. I am a member of the former, not bothered by graying skies and early sunsets. Especially when I can be warmed up with a meal such as this.

The ragù is comprised of a simple Italian sofritto (onion, celery, and carrot) along with aromatics, red wine and Calabrian chili. Short ribs are a fatty cut of meat and must be cooked slowly and extensively to render the fat and create a tender final result. While the majority of this dish is passive cooking, the ragù is simmered for around 4 hours so plan to make this when you will have access to your kitchen for the better part of the day.

I’ve chosen to serve this sauce on homemade egg pappardelle with laminated fresh basil. “Lamination” refers to the process of adding an ingredient between two sheets of pasta dough and pressing them together using a pasta machine to seal the ingredient inside. The fresh basil adds an aromatic depth to the dish, as well as a beautiful green design to the pasta. I suggest you not skip this step if you are making your own pasta. If you are using store-bought pasta, fret not! Add some chiffonaded basil to garnish to mimic a similar result. I would recommend a quality egg-based fresh pasta from the store as opposed to dried. The fresh pasta will accentuate the flavors of the sauce, allowing for maximum capacity enjoyment after so many hours of work.