Pappardelle with meat sauce is wide egg noodles tossed in a quick pork and beef sauce with red wine, tomato paste and Parmesan, ready in about 45 minutes. It feeds 4 and gets a rich, meaty sauce without hours at the stove.
Why This Recipe Works
The sauce starts with onion, celery and carrot cooked gently in olive oil until soft. Cooking them slowly takes the raw edge off and gives the meat a sweet base to build on.
Pork and beef together do more than either one alone. The beef brings the deep meaty taste, and the pork adds fat and tenderness, so the sauce stays moist instead of turning dry and grainy.
Letting the wine cook off for a minute or two before anything else goes in removes the sharp alcohol smell and leaves only its fruity depth. Tomato paste thinned with warm water then spreads evenly through the sauce instead of sitting in clumps.
Pappardelle with Meat Sauce Ingredients
For the meat sauce
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 7 ounces ground pork (or skinless 100 percent pork sausages)
- 7 ounces lean ground beef
- 2/3 cup dry red wine
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste, diluted with 2 tablespoons warm water
- 2 bay leaves
- 2/3 cup stock
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the pasta
- 1 pound pappardelle (fresh or dried)
- 3 ounces freshly grated Parmesan
How To Make Pappardelle with Meat Sauce
Make the meat sauce
- Soften the vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot and fry gently until soft, so they sweeten instead of browning.
- Brown the meat: Add the ground pork and beef and keep frying until the meat is browned. Break it up as it cooks, so you get small crumbles that cling to the noodles.
- Add the wine: Pour in the red wine and let it cook off for 1 to 2 minutes. This burns off the harsh alcohol and leaves the flavor behind.
- Simmer with tomato: Stir in the diluted tomato paste and the bay leaves. Cook for another 10 minutes, so the paste loses its raw taste and the sauce thickens.
- Finish the sauce: Stir in the stock and season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat it through for 1 to 2 minutes, then fish out the bay leaves.
Cook the pasta and serve
- Cook the pappardelle: Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for 5 to 7 minutes, until al dente. Taste a piece near the end, since fresh pasta cooks faster than dried.
- Toss and serve: Drain the pasta and divide it among bowls. Spoon the meat sauce over the top and sprinkle with a little of the grated Parmesan.
Recipe Tips
- Chop the vegetables fine: Small pieces melt into the sauce and give body without making it chunky. Large pieces stay distinct and the sauce loses its smooth texture.
- Brown the meat well: Let the meat sit for a minute between stirs so it picks up color. Browned meat tastes deeper than meat that only turns gray.
- Save some pasta water: Keep a small cup of the cooking water before you drain. A splash loosens the sauce if it tightens up once it meets the noodles.
- Try sausage instead: If you use pork sausages, take off the casings first and crumble the meat into the pan. It cooks the same way as the ground pork.
What To Serve With Pappardelle with Meat Sauce
Serve the pasta right away, with the rest of the Parmesan at the table. A simple green salad with a sharp vinegar dressing and a glass of the same red wine you cooked with go well alongside.
How To Store
- Fridge: Keep leftover sauce in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store it separate from the pasta so the noodles don’t go soft.
- Freezer: Freeze the sauce alone for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, never on the counter.
- Reheat: Warm the sauce in a pan over medium heat, adding a splash of stock or water if it looks thick. Heat it until hot all the way through.
FAQs
Can I use only beef or only pork?
Yes. All beef gives a leaner, firmer sauce, and all pork gives a softer, richer one. Using both gives the best balance, but either works with the same amounts and times.
What can I use instead of red wine?
Use more stock in its place, in the same amount. The sauce will taste a little less deep, so add a small splash of red wine vinegar at the end to bring back some brightness.
Can I make the sauce ahead?
Yes. The sauce tastes even better the next day, once the flavors have had time to settle. Keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze it, and cook fresh pasta just before serving.
Why is my sauce too dry or too thick?
It likely cooked too long or the pan was too hot. Stir in a few tablespoons of warm stock or pasta water until it loosens. Cooking over medium-low heat once the wine goes in helps prevent this.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving (1 of 4), worked out from the ingredients.
- Calories: about 900 kcal
- Total Fat: 42g
- Total Carbohydrate: 85g
- Dietary Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 38g
Pappardelle with Meat Sauce
4
servings15
minutes30
minutes45
minutesWide pappardelle noodles tossed in a quick pork and beef sauce with red wine, tomato paste and Parmesan. A simple weeknight pasta that feeds 4.
Ingredients
- For the meat sauce
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
7 ounces ground pork (or skinless 100 percent pork sausages)
7 ounces lean ground beef
2/3 cup dry red wine
3 tablespoons tomato paste, diluted with 2 tablespoons warm water
2 bay leaves
2/3 cup stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- For the pasta
1 pound pappardelle (fresh or dried)
3 ounces freshly grated Parmesan
Directions
- Soften the vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot and fry gently until soft, so they sweeten instead of browning.
- Brown the meat: Add the ground pork and beef and keep frying until the meat is browned. Break it up as it cooks, so you get small crumbles that cling to the noodles.
- Add the wine: Pour in the red wine and let it cook off for 1 to 2 minutes. This burns off the harsh alcohol and leaves the flavor behind.
- Simmer with tomato: Stir in the diluted tomato paste and the bay leaves. Cook for another 10 minutes, so the paste loses its raw taste and the sauce thickens.
- Finish the sauce: Stir in the stock and season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat it through for 1 to 2 minutes, then fish out the bay leaves.
- Cook the pappardelle: Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for 5 to 7 minutes, until al dente. Taste a piece near the end, since fresh pasta cooks faster than dried.
- Toss and serve: Drain the pasta and divide it among bowls. Spoon the meat sauce over the top and sprinkle with a little of the grated Parmesan.
