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Mac ‘n’ Cheese with Rich Beef Ragu

Deborah
The oozing cheese sauce along with slow-cooked meat makes this a real comfort food winner.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Course Main, Snack
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

For the ragu:

  • 1kg beef shin cut into chunks
  • 2 tbsp plain flour seasoned really well
  • olive oil
  • 2 onions finely chopped
  • 3 carrots grated
  • 1 star anise
  • 200ml beef stock
  • 3 tbsp tomato purée
  • 200ml red wine
  • 200ml passata
  • a bunch of basil chopped

For the mac 'n' cheese:

  • 35g butter
  • 35g plain flour
  • 700ml semi-skimmed milk
  • 1 tsp English mustard powder
  • 200g mature cheddar grated
  • 100g gruyère grated
  • 100g emmental grated
  • 250g macaroni

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Start with the ragu - toss the beef in the flour and shake off the excess. Heat a little oil in a heavy casserole then brown the beef chunks in small batches until they have a good colour on all sides, then scoop them out and do the next batch.
  • Once all the beef has browned, tip it back into the casserole and add the onion, carrot and star anise. Cook, stirring for about 5 minutes, then stir in the tomato purée. Add the stock, wine and passata and bring to a simmer. Cover the pan with foil and put on a lid to create a seal. Transfer to the oven and cook for 3 hours, then check the beef is done – you want it to fall apart easily. If it doesn’t, put it back in the oven for another 30 minutes to an hour. Stir in the basil.
  • Meanwhile, make the mac ‘n’ cheese - melt the butter in a pan then stir in the flour. Keep cooking and stirring for 3 minutes then gradually whisk in the milk to give a smooth sauce.
  • Add the mustard powder, cheddar, gruyère, emmental and stir until melted. Season.
  • Turn up the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Cook the macaroni until just al dente (approx 7-8 minutes) then rinse under cold water and drain well. Mix with the cheese sauce.
  • Spoon the ragu into a large baking dish. Top with the mac ‘n’ cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden and bubbling. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

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Keyword beef ragu, cheese sauce, comfort food, macaroni, Olive magazine, pasta, slow cooker, warmer, winter