Ragù has always been a tradition in my house. Growing up my dad prepared it weekly, mainly because it was an easy dinner. And in those days, ragù sauce came in the form of a jar and pasta came in the form of a box from the supermarket—not exactly authentic, but I didn’t know any better (my taste buds were still developing). As I grew older and my creativity with food began to blossom—Saturdays watching Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” with my dad helped—I experimented with a lot of different ragù and bolognese recipes. I’ve always loved pasta, but have never been a huge fan of white sauce (bleh).

I’ve always been a red sauce kind of girl.

Here’s a fun fact about me: I studied abroad in Italy for a month when I was in college—and it was one of the best experiences of my life. One that I am still to this day quite fond of.

During that trip I ate so much pasta and gelato that I gained NEARLY 20 LBS in one month—that’s not an exaggeration. After that trip, my cravings for pasta were less frequent that before; but now and then, I get a big craving for it, and it’s always for a thick-cut pasta and a hearty meat sauce.

This is my favorite red sauce recipe—filled with vegetables, ground beef and (the best part) short ribs! The best part about this recipe is that it’s super adaptable. I usually use whatever root vegetables and meat I have on hand, and it always turns out delicious.