SERVES 2

Supplied Ingredients

1 brown onion

2 garlic cloves

400g beef chuck steak

50g tomato paste

12g dried porcini mushrooms

400g can cherry tomatoes

1 beef stock cube

1 bunch parsley

1/2 lemon*

250g tagliatelle pasta

25g grated parmesan

* Extra supplied, measured amount

Pantry Ingredients

60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil

Equipment

medium frypan

6 litre ceramic slow cooker

large saucepan

small mixing bowl

STEP 1: PREPARE INGREDIENTS

Cover slow cooker with a lid and preheat to high. Finely chop onion. Peel and crush garlic. Cut beef into 4cm pieces.

STEP 2: BROWN BEEF AND COOK VEGETABLES

Heat 20ml (1 tablespoon) oil in a frypan over medium heat. Add beef, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt flakes and pepper and cook, turning, for 5 minutes or until browned. Place beef in slow cooker. Reduce frypan heat to medium-low, add onion and garlic to frypan and cook for 5–7 minutes or until softened. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until caramelised. Place in slow cooker.

STEP 3: SLOW-COOK RAGU

Dissolve stock cube in 250ml (1 cup) boiling water. Add porcini, stock and cherry tomatoes to slow cooker. Cover with lid and cook on high for 3 1/2 hours or until beef is very tender.

HEADS UP: To test the meat is tender, push down on it with a spoon. When it’s ready the meat should fall apart.

STEP 4: MAKE GREMOLATA

While ragu is cooking, rinse and roughly chop parsley. Place in a bowl with remaining olive oil. Finely zest and juice lemon and add to bowl with salt and pepper. Mix well to combine and set aside.

STEP 5: COOK PASTA

Cook pasta in a saucepan of salted, boiling water for 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain.

STEP 6: PLATE UP

Use 2 forks to shred beef, leaving some larger pieces. Season ragu with salt and pepper. Divide pasta between bowls and top with ragu, gremolata and parmesan to serve.