Looks great … why was it meh?
Terribly bland, and I don’t think it needed salt or pepper. The bottle of Cab also disappeared.
Just reeeeaaaallllly uninteresting, considering the time and moderate effort.
But I rarely follow recipes for any of my pasta dishes, and I should probably continue to do so.
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So the recipe was off? I’ve read and heard criticism of Jamie Oliver’s recipes, particularly odd substitutions and changes to tradition that seem weird.
Too bad - it sure looks good!
It was boring AF, is all. We have a shit-ton of leftovers, so I’ll have to figure out how to make this much, much better for future use.
Feh!
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Finely minced pepperoncini?
Sriracha or your favorite hot sauce?
Yeah, I know both of those change the overall flavor of the beef ragu, but it would definitely amp up the flavor.
Yeah I’m a bit stumped. As I mentioned to @honkman, my pasta sauces that I make sans recipe have never lacked umami 
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needs Umami = add Mushrooms, in my cooking. Were those missing from the Jamie Oliver ragu?
Other ideas for beef stew which may help in your ragu, suggested in this article include coffee, cinnamon
And this article advocates tomato paste and smoked paprika as flavor boosts for beef stew.
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I might add some porcini powder, fish sauce and/or soy sauce. Not even the ample amounts of fresh sage & rosemary came through in the sauce.
I also tend to use tomato paste (which I toast in the oil after melting anchovies) for my own sauces. I’m skeptical about adding it after the fact, but I will have to save this sauce, given how much the chuck roast was ($30+).
I use cinnamon in tomato sauce only for Greek-ish or ME pasta.
Thanks so much for your tips 
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I have also noticed some Umami seasonings at the grocery store. We are a lower salt household so I haven’t bought any, but I’m curious.
I don’t like most smoked paprikas I’ve tried in most applications, so I always omit that for my stuff.
I do use Worcestershire, Maggi, lemon and vinegar to add zip to some things that lack it
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Hmmm, that pasta sauce is a puzzler.
I make a lot of vegetarian/vegetarian-ish food, so I’m often looking for umami boosters. Here are a few. Often I use more than one if they fit the flavor profile I want. Offering ‘em up in case any might appeal to you:
Rosemary and/or sage. Thyme is pretty good too. I usually dry my own so the flavor is punchy. Won’t work if the herbs don’t carry that punch though. ETA: Dried herbs seem to work better than fresh here for me.
Mushroom stock made from simmering shroom stems that I have collected and frozen.
Parmesan rind, simmered in the dish and removed. Can also make Parmesan stock separately with collected rinds, and add some of that to dishes. That said, IMHO the shroom stock brings more umami.
Worcestershire sauce, to taste.
Concentrated tomato paste from the tube, quickly sautéed in a bit of olive oil to bring out its flavor. ETA: I see you already did the oil-toasting thing.
While not umami, I do find that sometimes a little dab of butter in a finished dish just before serving adds richness if my dish seems to be lacking.
Fingers crossed that you’ll find the perfect twist to please your palate.
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Rosemary and sage were in the sauce in ample amounts, plus the fresh chopped rosemary & orange zest topping (which we didn’t like, and which overpowered the bland sauce).
I am familiar with many ways to add umami. I tried following a specific recipe this time that sounded appealing.
I shall stick to making my own pasta sauces from now on. Lesson learned.
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Thought I’d give it a try. You may gather that I spend a fair amount of time standing over a simmering pot pondering how I can amend stuff. 
Solidarity!
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SOLIDARITY in all things bland!!! 
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It may have been relying on the natural glumates in the Parmesan, which I think you said you left out of mixing in, but sprinkled on at the end. Either way, you might reheat it gently with a parmesan rind for another 45-60 minutes (but fish sauce, porcini, etc. will also help get you there).
Or - save it to be a base for chilli! Add cumin and chile peppers!!! Serve with some beans and rice. It would probably be great for that! We are in chilli season, to be sure.
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That’s a good idea!
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I still have a goodly supply of hot peppers of all kinds, including hatch chilies!!
That’s great advice - thx!
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To me, smoked paprika adds “bacon” flavor vibes, which I tend to like. I hadn’t used it until about 4-5 years ago, and still remember being happily surprised.
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I like bacon and I like smoked salmon. I’m not too crazy about other smoked stuff.
It’s an essential ingredient for a casa lingua favorite: the NYT lemony shrimp and bean stew.
Adds a certain je ne sais quoi.
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