SERVES 4

Supplied Ingredients

1 brown onion

3 garlic cloves

800g beef chuck steak

100g tomato paste

24g dried porcini mushrooms

2 x 400g cans cherry tomatoes

2 beef stock cubes

1 bunch parsley

1 lemon

500g tagliatelle pasta

50g grated parmesan

*Extra supplied, measured amount

Pantry Ingredients

80ml (1/3 cup) olive oil

Equipment

large deep frypan

6 litre ceramic slow cooker

large saucepan

small mixing bowl

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.

2. BROWN BEEF AND COOK VEGETABLES

Heat 40ml (2 tablespoons) oil in a frypan over medium heat. Add beef, season with 1 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.

3. SLOW-COOK RAGU

Dissolve stock cube in 500ml (2 cups) boiling water. Add porcini, stock and cherry tomatoes to slow cooker. Cover with lid and cook on high for 3½ 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.

4. MAKE GREMOLATA

While ragu is cooking, 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.

5. COOK PASTA

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

6. PLATE UP

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