Good things take time – while cooking your Sunday lunch it’s a great idea to make some extra oxtail stew to enjoy with pasta; or use your leftovers to make this hearty dish.
This Oxtail Pasta recipe offers a luxurious and flavorful twist on your typical pasta dish. Tender oxtail pieces are slow-cooked in a rich tomato and red wine sauce with vegetables and herbs, resulting in a deeply satisfying meal.
3kg Oxtail pieces
125ml (1/2 cup) flour, seasoned
3 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
6 celery stick
600g carrots, peeled and sliced
6 garlic cloves, minced
60g tomato paste
30ml (2 Tbsp) smoked paprika
2 x 400g tins La Belinda tinned cherry tomatoes
150g fresh cherry tomatoes, halved
750ml (3 cups) good quality beef stock
3 sprigs of rosemary
500g fusilli pasta, cooked according to packet instructions
20g parsley, to garnish
Chilli, salt and pepper, to taste
Pre heat the oven to 180°C.
Heat a large oven-proof pot over medium heat with a splash of oil.
Dust the oxtail pieces in the seasoned flour and shake off the excess flour.
Brown the oxtail pieces in batches on all sides, then remove from the pot and set aside until needed.
Fry the onions, celery and carrots for about 10 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant, then add the garlic and fry for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the smoked paprika and tomato paste – cook for a minute or two while stirring, to ensure you cook it out properly to avoid a metallic or bitter taste.
Add the tinned tomatoes, fresh cherry tomatoes, beef stock and whole sprigs of rosemary.
Cook the sauce for about 10 minutes before adding back the browned oxtail.
Close the lid and place in the oven to gently simmer the stew for about 3½ hours.
Remember to check on the stew every 30 minutes and add more stock or water if it looks like it is cooking dry.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Pull all meat off the bones. Remember that you can reserve and use the bones to make an amazing home-made beef stock.
Place the meat back into the sauce and adjust consistency according to your taste. Mix the meaty sauce with your cooked fusilli pasta and garnish with fresh parsley.
