Slow Cooker Beef Ragu with Pappardelle (Printable)
Tender slow-cooked beef ragu simmered in tomatoes and red wine, served over silky pappardelle pasta. Serves 6.
# What You Need:
→ Beef
01 - 2.5 lbs beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into large chunks
02 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 carrots, peeled and diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
→ Pantry
07 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
08 - 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
09 - 1 cup beef broth
10 - 1/2 cup dry red wine
11 - 2 bay leaves
12 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
→ Pasta and Garnish
15 - 1 pound pappardelle pasta
16 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
17 - Fresh basil or parsley, chopped, optional
# How To Cook:
01 - Season beef chunks generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper on all sides.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear beef chunks on all sides until deeply browned, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer seared beef to the slow cooker.
03 - In the same skillet, add chopped onion, diced carrot, and diced celery. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. Add minced garlic and tomato paste, cooking for 1 minute longer.
04 - Transfer sautéed vegetables to the slow cooker with beef. Add crushed tomatoes, beef broth, dry red wine, bay leaves, dried oregano, dried thyme, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
05 - Cover the slow cooker and cook on low setting for 8 hours until beef becomes fall-apart tender.
06 - Remove and discard bay leaves. Using two forks, shred beef directly in the slow cooker and stir to evenly distribute throughout the sauce.
07 - Approximately 20 minutes before serving, cook pappardelle pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly.
08 - Toss cooked pasta with ragu or spoon ragu over pasta portions.
09 - Top each serving with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh basil or parsley if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The slow cooker does all the heavy lifting while you go about your day, returning to a kitchen that smells like an Italian grandmother has been cooking for hours.
- This ragu freezes beautifully, so I always make a double batch and stash portions away for those nights when cooking feels impossible but takeout wont satisfy.
02 -
- After ruining a batch by rushing the meat-searing step, I learned that properly browned beef makes the difference between an ordinary stew and a restaurant-quality ragu.
- Adding a splash of the starchy pasta water to the sauce just before tossing with pasta creates a silky texture that helps the sauce cling to every strand.
03 -
- If your sauce seems too thin after cooking, remove the lid of the slow cooker for the final 30 minutes to allow excess liquid to evaporate and concentrate the flavors.
- A small piece of Parmesan rind tossed into the slow cooker while the sauce simmers adds an incredible depth of flavor that cant be achieved any other way.