
When the weather turns chilly and life feels extra busy, there’s nothing quite like a warm, hearty meal to bring everyone to the table. This Beef Ragu is a true labor of love made simple, thanks to the magic of a slow cooker. Packed with tender, shredded beef, rich tomatoes, aromatic herbs, and perfectly cooked pasta, it’s the ultimate comfort food with minimal effort.
Whether you’re serving it on a weeknight or sharing it with guests, this dish transforms humble ingredients into a restaurant-worthy meal. Best of all, it’s versatile—perfect for lazy Sundays or those evenings when you just want to toss everything into the crockpot and let dinner cook itself. Pair it with fresh parmesan and a cozy glass of wine, and you’ve got a recipe for the perfect night in.
Beef Ragu
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds chuck roast
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 large onion (diced)
- 2 medium carrots (peeled and diced)
- 2 celery stalks (chopped)
- 1 can crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup red wine
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 8 ounces Pasta (such as tagliatelle, pappardelle, or fettuccine)
Directions:
- Season the chuck roast with salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and thyme.
- In the crock pot, layer the minced garlic, diced onion, chopped carrots, and celery.
- Place the seasoned roast on top of the vegetables.
- Pour in the beef broth and red wine then add the crushed tomatoes over the roast.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours, until the beef is tender.
- Once cooked, remove the beef, shred it with forks, or use a mixer- this is my preference. I use my flat beater and shred on speed 2 until I get my desired consistency. discard any large fat pieces
- If available on your crockpot, turn the setting to saute and bring the liquid to a boil. Once boiling, add in uncooked pasta, and return beef to crockpot. Cook for about 10 minutes covered or until pasta is tender. Remove lid, and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
- If you don’t have that setting on your crockpot, you have a few options! You can pour the liquid into a medium sized saucepan, place it on the stove and bring to a boil and cook your noodles. After they are cooked, return the noodles, liquid and beef to the crockpot and let the flavors marinate together for about 15 minutes on high. If you aren’t using an egg noodle like pappardelle, you can simply add the uncooked pasta and meat to your crockpot with the liquid, and cook on high for about 45-60 minutes, or until pasta is tender.
**If you add an egg noodle like pappardelle to a liquid that is not boiling, it will dissolve! For the easiest option, I would use fettuccine noodles if you don’t have a saute setting on your crockpot - Once cooked, serve with fresh parmesan cheese and enjoy!
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Hi I’m Teresa!
I’m a mom to three, a wife and a physician assistant. I also have a degree in Nutritional Sciences and I love sharing all things life with you! I am passionate about empowering you through education, sharing all my fave products and items that have made life better and creating content to give you value!
What can I substitute for the red wine please?
Hi there! You could just omit or use a red cooking wine!
Enjoy!