Ingredients (~8 servings)
- ~3 lbs beef brisket, cut into chunks (or chuck roast)
- 3 Tbsp olive oil for browning
- ~4 oz bacon, finely diced
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds (optional)
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cans (28 oz total) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 cups beef stock
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme (or 2 whole stalks)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, divided
- ~1 1/2 lbs pappardelle or tagliatelle pasta
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Cut and Season the Brisket
Take the brisket out of the fridge 1-2 hours before cooking and cut into 3-4 inch chunks.
Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
The bigger chunks hold together better during the long cook time.
Brown the Meat in Batches
Set your Instant Pot to sauté mode and add 2 Tbsp olive oil.
Once the oil shimmers, brown the brisket in 2-3 batches – don’t overcrowd the pot or the meat will steam instead of brown.
Turn each piece to get color on multiple sides; this takes ~3-4 minutes per batch.
Remove the browned meat and set aside on a plate – don’t worry about cooking it through.
Cook the Bacon and Vegetables
Keep the Instant Pot on sauté and add the diced bacon to the same pot.
Cook for ~1 minute until it starts to render, then add the onions, carrots, and celery.
Cook for ~6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften but don’t brown.
The bacon fat combined with the leftover oil from browning is plenty of fat for this step.
Add Aromatics and Deglaze
Add the fennel seeds, garlic, and tomato paste to the pot.
Stir constantly for ~30 seconds until fragrant – the tomato paste will darken slightly.
Pour in the red wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Let the wine reduce by about half, which takes ~3-4 minutes.
Build the Sauce Base
Add both cans of crushed tomatoes, the sugar, chopped rosemary, and 1 Tbsp of the parsley.
Stir everything together and let it come to a bubble.
The sugar helps balance the acidity from the tomatoes and wine.
Pressure Cook the Ragu
Return the browned brisket and any accumulated juices to the pot.
Add the beef stock, bay leaves, and thyme, then season generously with salt and pepper.
Stir to combine, then close the lid and set the vent to seal.
Set to manual high pressure for 1 hour and 20 minutes, making sure the keep warm function is off.
Shred the Meat and Finish the Sauce
Once the cook time is done, let the pressure release naturally for ~15 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
Remove the meat to a cutting board and shred it with two forks – it should fall apart easily.
Return the shredded meat to the sauce and stir to combine.
Let it sit for ~5 minutes so the meat absorbs more of the sauce.
Cook the Pasta and Serve
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pappardelle according to package directions until al dente.
Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining, then toss the hot pasta with the ragu.
Add a splash of pasta water if needed to help the sauce coat the noodles.
Serve in bowls topped with the remaining chopped parsley and plenty of grated Parmesan.
This ragu actually gets better the next day and freezes well for up to 3 months.
Instant Pot Beef Ragu with Pasta
Ingredients
Ingredients (~8 servings)
- ~3 lbs beef brisket or chuck roast, cut into chunks
- 3 Tbsp olive oil for browning
- ~4 oz bacon finely diced
- 2 medium onions finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots peeled and finely chopped
- 1 large celery stalk finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds optional
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cans crushed tomatoes 28 oz total
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 cups beef stock
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 2 whole stalks
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley divided
- ~1 1/2 lbs pappardelle or tagliatelle pasta
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Remove brisket from fridge 1-2 hours before cooking and cut into 3-4 inch chunks. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Set Instant Pot to sauté and add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Brown brisket in batches for 3-4 minutes per batch, turning to color multiple sides. Remove and set aside.
- Add bacon to pot and cook 1 minute. Add onions, carrots, and celery and cook 6-8 minutes until softened.
- Add fennel seeds, garlic, and tomato paste. Stir constantly for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in red wine and scrape up browned bits. Let reduce by half, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, rosemary, and 1 Tbsp parsley. Stir and bring to a bubble.
- Return brisket and juices to pot. Add beef stock, bay leaves, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
- Close lid, seal vent, and set to manual high pressure for 1 hour 20 minutes with keep warm off.
- Let pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, then quick release remaining pressure.
- Remove meat, shred with two forks, and return to sauce. Let sit 5 minutes.
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- Toss hot pasta with ragu, adding pasta water if needed to coat noodles.
- Serve topped with remaining parsley and grated Parmesan.
