Slow Cooker Beef Ragu (Printable)
Hearty slow-cooked beef with rich tomato sauce paired with wide, delicate pappardelle noodles.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Beef
01 - 2.5 lbs beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into large chunks
02 - Salt, to taste
03 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
07 - 2 celery stalks, diced
08 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
→ Liquids & Tomato
09 - 1/2 cup dry red wine
10 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
11 - 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
12 - 1 cup beef broth
→ Herbs & Spices
13 - 2 teaspoons dried oregano
14 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
15 - 2 bay leaves
16 - 1 teaspoon sugar
17 - 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
→ Pasta & Finish
18 - 1 lb pappardelle pasta
19 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
20 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
# How-To Steps:
01 - Generously season beef chunks with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown beef on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer browned beef to the slow cooker.
03 - In the same skillet, add chopped onion, diced carrots, and celery. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute. Transfer vegetables to the slow cooker.
04 - Pour red wine into the skillet and simmer for 2 minutes, scraping up browned bits. Add this to the slow cooker.
05 - Add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, beef broth, dried oregano, dried thyme, bay leaves, sugar, and chili flakes if desired into the slow cooker. Stir well to combine.
06 - Cover and cook on low heat in the slow cooker for 8 hours until beef is extremely tender and easily pulls apart.
07 - Remove and discard bay leaves. Shred beef with two forks and return it to the sauce. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
08 - Cook pappardelle according to package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta and toss with a portion of the ragu sauce to coat evenly.
09 - Plate pasta topped with generous servings of the beef ragu. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The beef becomes so tender it melts into the sauce, and you realize you've been eating the same cut of meat all wrong your whole life.
- Eight hours of cooking means you can fill your day with other things while the kitchen smells incredible.
- This is the kind of dish that tastes even better the next day, which almost never happens with the effort you put in.
02 -
- Brown the meat properly on the first step—this is where most of the flavor comes from, and you can't get it back if you skip it.
- If your slow cooker runs hot, check the beef at hour seven instead of eight, because once it shreds apart, you can't unbake it.
03 -
- If you're short on time, use high heat on your slow cooker, but know that low and slow really does taste richer and more complex.
- Don't skip the fresh parsley at the end—it sounds small, but it wakes up your palate and reminds you this is a fresh, vibrant dish under all that richness.