This recipe is for 2 people but can be multiplied as required

Ingredients

For the ragu:

• 1 oxtail
• 2 tablespoons of plain flour seasoned with salt & pepper
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large glass of red wine
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• A splash of red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 3 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper

For the gremolata:

• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• Small bunch of parsley, very finely chopped
• Olive oil

1 pack of ready made gnocchi

Place a large pan with a lid on the hob and gently heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Lightly coat the oxtail with the seasoned flour and place in the pan, turning occasionally until browned all over. Remove the oxtail from the pan and set to one side

To the same pan add the onion, carrot, rosemary & garlic and fry until softened (about 10 minutes)

Pour in the red wine, tomatoes, honey & vinegar and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and put the oxtail back in the pan, along with enough water to just cover it

Put the lid on the pan and stirring occasionally, simmer the ragu on a very low heat for about 3 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone. At this point the ragu will have reduced and thickened considerably. Carefully lift out the oxtail onto a plate and using a fork, remove the meat from the bone, discarding any excess fat. It’ll look like you’ve not got much meat but it’s quite rich so don’t worry. Put the shredded oxtail back into the ragu, season with salt and pepper and keep it ticking over on a very low heat

To make the gremolata, combine the crushed garlic, lemon zest, chopped parsley and a teeny splash of olive oil then set to one side

Heat a pan of water until boiling and cook your gnocchi according to the pack instructions. When cooked, drain and add to the pan with the ragu, stirring until it’s fully coated

Spoon into bowls and sprinkle with the gremolata to serve – I think the gremolata really lifts the ragu and adds a zesty freshness so I’d definitely recommend adding it – pile of crusty bread for mopping optional!

Let me know if you try this recipe and tell me what you think!