Rendang Rigatoni

Author Notes

There’s something uniquely comforting about ragù over pasta. Whether it’s a Neapolitan ragù with chunky hunks of meat cooked long and slow till spoon-tender, or a classic bolognese with strands of spaghetti swimming through a beefy red sauce, a ragù always provides an abundance of warmth, contentment, and if you’re not careful, a couple of saucy flecks on your white T-shirt too.

But you don’t have to look solely to Imola—the birthplace of the first documented ragù—or even Italy, for a heart-enveloping sauce to go with your pasta. In Southeast Asia, there is a dish that is a ragù in every sense but the name. I’m talking about rendang.

Rendang is an Indonesian dish of stewed meat buttressed by garlic, shallots, and chilies, with top notes of herbaceous lemongrass, galangal, and turmeric leaf. But what defines a rendang is really the coconut milk that the meat is braised in. Coconut milk (called santan in Malay) lends a jammy coating to the meat, and thick, caramel richness to the sauce as a whole.

As for the protein, most rendangs call for slow-cooking cuts of beef like chuck and oxtail. Though uncommon, I’ve found that ground beef works just as well—and in half the time.

Ground beef is synonymous with ragù, and in particular, Bolognese. Like a Bolognese, this version here starts with a bouquet of sweated aromatics. Then, the minced meat, aided by a few punchy accompaniments—commonly pancetta and bay leaves for Bolognese, cumin and coriander powder for rendang—join the party. A heavy pour of coconut milk brings everyone together.

And, just like a Bolognese, when married with pasta, rendang delivers the same filling, lip-smacking satisfaction. My bias is to go with a heftier pasta like rigatoni, but if all you have languishing in your pantry is spaghetti, don’t fret. While some think spaghetti noodles are too thin and unwieldy for a ragù, I’d say that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as you’ll have a pool of rendang to lap up post spaghetti-slurping.

And the best thing? Rendangs keep well. Really well. My mom is a staunch believer in a day-two rendang. According to her—and many Malaysian home cooks for that matter—rendangs often taste better after a night or two in the fridge, after the meat and spices and sauce have had time to really meld. —Jun