Braised Veal Cheeks with Pasta

Here’s a classic recipe for Braised Veal Cheeks with Pasta— tender, slow-cooked veal cheeks in a rich red wine sauce, served with noodles!

Ingredients - serves 4

4 veal cheeks (about 180–200 g each)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp vegetable oil or clarified butter

2 onions, diced

1 carrot, diced

100 g celery, diced

1 small leek, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tbsp tomato paste

250 ml dry red wine (e.g. Merlot or Pinot Noir)

500 ml veal or beef stock

1 sprig rosemary

1 sprig thyme

1 bay leaf

400g pasta

Method

Trim any sinew from the veal cheeks. Season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a heavy ovenproof pot or Dutch oven. Sear the cheeks on all sides until well browned. Remove and set aside. In the same pot, add onions, carrots, celery, leek, and garlic. Sauté until lightly browned and fragrant.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes until it darkens slightly — this deepens the flavor. Pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let it reduce by about half. Add the stock and herbs. Return the veal cheeks to the pot, ensuring they’re mostly submerged.

Cover with a lid and cook in a preheated oven at 160 °C (320 °F) for 2 to 2½ hours, until the cheeks are fork-tender. Remove the cheeks and strain the sauce through a fine sieve.

Reduce on the stovetop until thick and glossy. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Serve veal cheeks with cooked noodles.