Beef Ragu and Ravioli Bake

close up shot of ravioli beef ragu bake showing filling

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

A rich and tender beef ragu baked with cheesy ravioli - this truly is what comfort food is all about!

Prep Time20

Cook Time2 30

Total Time2 50

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £4 / $5

Equipment

Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Large Deep Pot with Lid
Tongs & Wooden Spoon
Cheese Grater
Medium Sized Pot & Whisk (for bechamel)
Large Baking Dish (mine is 12x9" / 30x22cm)
Serving Spoon

Ingredients

Ragu

drizzle of Olive Oil
1.1kg / 2.4lb Beef Chuck (see notes)
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
2 medium Carrots, finely diced
2 medium ribs of Celery, finely diced
1 large White Onion, finely diced
3 cloves of Garlic, finely diced
75g / 1/4 cup Tomato Puree (Tomato Paste in US)
180ml / 3/4 cup Dry Red Wine
500ml / 2 cups Tomato Passata (Pureed Tomatoes in US)
500ml / 2 cups Beef Stock
2-3 large sprigs of Fresh Thyme
2 Bay leaves
1 large sprig of Fresh Rosemary
1 Parmesan Rind
1/2 tsp Sugar, or to taste (helps balance out any acidity from the tomatoes)

Ravioli

500 / 1lb uncooked Fresh Ravioli (see notes)
30g / 1oz EACH: Butter, Plain Flour
500ml / 2 cups semi-skimmed or whole Milk, at room temp (plus a dash more if needed)
40g + 30g / 1/2 + 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan, (30g/1/3 cup is to top)
1/8 - 1/4 tsp EACH: Salt, Pepper (preferably white) and Ground Nutmeg

Instructions

Slice the beef into 4-5 even-sized pieces and trim off any large bits of fat. Season all over with salt and pepper.
Add a drizzle of oil to a large deep pot over high heat. Sear the beef until browned all over then remove and place in a bowl to one side. 5 or so mins should suffice - don't try and cook them through at this point, just caramelise the outside.
Lower the heat slightly to medium-high and add in the carrot, celery and onion. Fry until it all begins to soften and lightly colour, then add in the garlic and fry for a minute longer. Stir in the tomato puree and fry for a minute, then pour in the wine and use your wooden spoon to scrape off any flavour from the base of the pan.
Pour in the stock and passata, then add in the parmesan rind, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, sugar and cooked beef (alongside all the resting juices). Give it a stir and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and pop on the lid.
Allow to gently bubble away for 1 hour 30 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and continue gently simmering for another 45-55 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the beef is tender enough to shred with two forks.
Remove the beef and place in a large baking dish, discarding the herbs and parmesan rind as when you find them. Roughly shred the beef then stir in back through the sauce. Check for seasoning, then add back to the baking dish and level off with a wooden spoon. Leave to sit as you make the bechamel sauce. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F.
Melt the butter in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Stir in the flour to create a roux, then gradually add in the milk, whisking as you go to ensure no lumps form. Add in salt, pepper and nutmeg (can adjust later) then bring to a simmer. Allow to gently bubble away for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens, stirring regularly. Stir in 40g / 1/2 cup parmesan then check for seasoning and remove from the heat.
Layer over half of the ravioli on top of the ragu, then top a little under half of the bechamel sauce (if it has thickened a lot you can loosen it up with a splash of milk). Repeat, then finish with 30g / 1/3 cup parmesan to cover the top.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until golden/very lightly charred and bubbly around the edges. Leave to rest for 5 or so minutes before diving in!

Video

Notes

a) Beef - Make sure you're using a cut of beef that's suitable for slow cooking (i.e. has marbled fat). You'll find beef chuck in a lot of supermarkets, but also at the butchers. When you divide the beef, just try and make sure they're roughly the same size so they cook at an even rate.

b) Cooking the beef - You should be able to shred the beef after 2 hours and 15 minutes of simmering, but if you need to carry on simmering then please do so.

c) Sauce consistency - The sauce should still just about cover the beef after it has simmered, but should be a much thicker consistency. It'll look watery after the first simmer, but it'll start reducing when you take the lid off.

d) Ravioli - You can experiment with your favourite fillings! I'd steer away from meat/beef ragu fillings as that's what is underneath. Some form of cheese ravioli is always a safe bet. I also like aubergine parmigiana filling!

e) Serving - This will be pretty saucy, so definitely serve with some Garlic Bread!

f) Prep ahead/storage - I typically make the ragu and let it completely cool in the dish, then cover and store in the fridge. I then bring it close to room temp and carry on with the rest of the recipe the day after. Any leftovers just tightly store in the fridge for 3-4 days and nuke in the microwave until piping hot again.

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