Ingredients

• 2 large chuck steaks (approx 600g - 21oz)
• 4 tbsp Olive oil
• 16 pasta tubes
• 1 brown onion
• 5 garlic cloves
• 2 carrots
• 2 celery sticks
• A few sprigs of thyme (or one tsp dried)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cans of tomatoes (400g)
• 1 cup red wine (or use one cup extra beef stock)
• 4 cups beef stock
• Salt and Pepper
• 4 cups cheese sauce (See my simple cheese sauce here)
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• Smoked paprika (optional)

Steps

• Step 1

  Pre heat your oven to 320°F – 160°C

• Step 2

  Boil a large pot of water. Add salt, once boiling. Place your pasta in boiling water and blanch for four minutes. Once cooked, drain and place in a bowl of cold water to stop cooking process. After 10 minutes of cooling down, drain pasta and leave aside.

• Step 3

  Cut up the steaks into chunky pieces. Place an oven proof (cast iron) pot on high heat, add a large drizzle of olive oil, once oil is hot add the meat pieces and caramelise until nice and brown. You may need to do that in two batches if your burner is not hot enough.

• Step 4

  Peel and chop the onion, add to the meat, caramelise the onions, add the thyme and 5 minced garlic cloves. Peel and grate the carrots, chop the celery sticks and add to the meat along with two cans of tomatoes. Add the tomato paste, (red wine) and beef stock. Add one bay leaf, season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover with an oven-proof lid and bake for 3 hours at 320°F – 160°C.

• Step 5

  Remove from oven, take out the bay leaf and give it a vigorous mix until all the meat pieces have shredded apart. Taste and adjust seasoning.

• Step 6

  Heat up the cheese sauce and line the whole bottom of a baking dish.

• Step 7

  Take a small piece of aluminum foil, place it in one hand, pick up a pasta tube and place one end into the foil, holding it with one hand. This will prevent the filling from oozing out. Using a small teaspoon, scoop out some filling and place it into the tube until full. Pack it tightly. Place tube in baking tray resting on sauce. Repeat process with remaining tubes.

• Step 8

  Cover each tube with more cheese sauce, top with mozzarella cheese, sprinkle a little smoked paprika and bake in oven for 15-20 min at 400°F – 200°C or until brown and bubbling.

Little Tips

You can use this ragu recipe for many other uses such as meat pies or simply adding it to a tomato pasta. Ragu meat freezes well, make extra so it's always ready to use. You can also use lasagna sheets, simply add the ragu meat and roll instead of fill.