Slow Cooker Beef Ragu

Ragu meat sauce over pappardelle noodles

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Slow Cooker Beef Ragu

Including chuck roast, fire-roasted tomatoes, aromatics, and red wine, this Slow Cooker Beef Ragu has a deep, rich flavor bursting in every bite. Serve over pappardelle or your favorite noodles for an easy weeknight dinner.

Prep Time15

Cook Time6 20

Total Time6 35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: ragu pasta sauce, ragu recipe, slow cooker beef ragu

Servings: servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil
2 pound chuck roast , cut into 2-inch cubes
1 medium onion , chopped
5 cloves garlic , minced
1 cup dry red wine
28 ounce can fired-roasted crushed tomatoes , undrained
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
16 ounces pappardelle , cooked per package directions, for serving
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese , for serving (optional to keep this meal dairy free)

Instructions

Coat a 6-quart crockpot with nonstick spray.
Warm the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once shimmering (but not smoking) add the chuck roast pieces with space in between; sear the meat until the sides have browned (you might need to work in batches.) Transfer the meat to the crockpot.
Add the onions to the skillet and sauté until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 20 seconds. Deglaze your pan with the red wine and allow it to simmer for two minutes. Transfer the mixture to the crockpot.
Add to the crockpot, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, fresh thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper; stir to combine. Cover with the lid and set it to low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
Using two forks, shred the meat into small pieces.
Serve the ragu over the cooked pasta with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Sear the beef. Searing the beef and sautéing the aromatics before transferring to the slow cooker adds so much extra flavor to the dish and you will notice it in the end result.

Swap out the wine. If you don't drink alcohol, you can replace the wine with beef broth.

Can't find pappardelle? This meat pasta sauce can be used with any pasta.

Cook the pasta separately. I like to begin cooking the pasta just before I shred the meat, so everything is ready to serve at more or less the same time.

Nutrition