Short rib ragu with pappardelle

Break the celery and carrot by hand, add the onion and a drop of water, and blend the soffritto smooth; set aside.

Heat the Dutch oven over medium with three or four tablespoons of olive oil; salt the short ribs generously on both sides.

Sear the ribs a few minutes per side, salting the top, until well coloured; the middle may stay red. Remove.

Turn to medium-low, add the blended soffritto and a little water, scraping up the pan, and cook about five minutes.

Blend the canned peeled tomatoes into passata a little at a time.

Return the meat, turn it in the soffritto, then add one standard glass of dry red wine to deglaze; leave uncovered until the wine evaporates, about five minutes.

Tie the oregano and thyme together with twine so they can be removed later.

Turn the meat, add the passata so it reaches the bottom, season with a little salt and pepper, and push the herb bundle to the bottom.

Cover and cook on low for three hours with no added liquid, turning the meat and stirring every 30 to 45 minutes.

Remove the herbs and pull out the bones.

Turn off the heat and shred the meat in the pot with a potato masher (or forks, or by hand), leaving some chunks.

Boil fresh pappardelle in a large pot of water with a tablespoon of sea or rock salt for about two minutes, stirring gently.

Portion the remaining sauce into containers and freeze.

Warm a portion of sauce in a pan, skim off excess fat, add the pasta straight from the water and mix gently so every strand is coated, adding pasta water if needed.