Oxtail ragu pasta

Brimming with tomatoes, celery, and tender braised beef, this Roman-style rigatoni with oxtail ragù (pasta al sugo di coda) is the pinnacle of Italian comfort food.

This Roman Oxtail Ragu Recipe is a classic example of Cucina Povera cooking and it is an amazing dish that you will love served by itself or over pasta.

Eating innards, organs and off-cuts might not sound appealing, but they are the backbone of the Italian cucina povera (poor kitchen) where the undesirable cuts of meat are transformed into food rich in comfort, flavour and downright deliciousness. In 18th century Rome, these off-cuts were known as quinto quarto, the fifth quarter. From the slaughterhouses...Read More

It always feels like a special treat.

Don't be put off with handling oxtail. The flavour you get from the fat and bone marrow which seeps into the dish results in a heavenly luxurious ragu. I suggest making this one or two days before you want to serve it, allowing time for cooling and fat removal if you want a healthier version.I always use a 7ltr pressure cooker for this dish, it reduces cooking time from 3 hours to 1, as well as locking in more flavour. If you don't have a pressure cooker, simply put in a casserole dish and…

As a kid, I remember eating spaghetti with meat sauce on a regular basis. This was always one of my favorite meals my mom would make. There was something incredibly satisfying about sitting down to a bowl (or three) heaped with noodles and a rich meaty tomato sauce, all topped with grated cheese.

There is something rather medieval about Oxtail. The gnarly, boney joints might not look like much, but those in the know are all too aware of the hidden magic that is kept within this old-fashioned cut. All it needs is time. Time to release the heavenly marrow that slowly marinades the dish. Time to allow the tough sinews to relax and relent, leaving you with flakes of beefy delight. This is proper hearty food that packs a punch. The perfect fodder for chilly evenings, when only something…

There is something rather medieval about Oxtail. The gnarly, boney joints might not look like much, but those in the know are all too aware of the hidden magic that is kept within this old-fashioned cut. All it needs is time. Time to release the heavenly marrow that slowly marinades the dish. Time to allow the tough sinews to relax and relent, leaving you with flakes of beefy delight. This is proper hearty food that packs a punch. The perfect fodder for chilly evenings, when only something…

Coda alla Vaccinara is a classic dish from Rome: oxtail stewed in tomato sauce. It is usually served as a secondo, but you can also eat the sauce over pasta as a primo before that. Another less com…

This succulent braised oxtail is prepared in a rich sauce of red wine, crushed tomatoes, beef stock and herbs, served over creamy polenta!