Beef Ragu (Crockpot Recipe)

Beef Ragu is flavor-packed, Italian-inspired comfort food.  Make it easier in the slow cooker and serve it over pappardelle pasta.

This is my go-to meal to serve when company is over or when I want to make a big batch of something to last for several meals throughout the week. While it does require a bit of work upfront, the slow cooker does the rest of the work making the meat fall-apart tender and the sauce luxuriously smooth.

This past summer when I shared this Bruschetta recipe, I also shared a bit about our trip to Italy. One of our favorite things we did there was to take a cooking class in the countryside near Siena at Le Pietre Vive Farmhouse. Our teacher, Nonna Ciana, and her translators taught us how to make an authentic four-course Italian meal. The class was almost a full-day event and in between preparing the various courses, I asked dozens of questions about all of my favorite Italian dishes and their preparation. It was amazing to learn from her and get her take on Italian cuisine.

After the class, her translator sent me an email with dozens of their recipes attached. I guess I wasn’t too discreet about asking for all their cooking secrets!

I’ve loved working my way through those recipes and today, I’m sharing a (slightly adapted) version of her Beef Ragu. I switched a few ingredients (left out the milk and pancetta; swapped in broth for wine) and adapted it to go in the slow cooker, but the general ingredients and process come from her recipe. Grazie, Nonna Cianna!

So, first off, let’s talk about WHAT exactly this dish is and next how to prepare it!

Ragu is a meat-based sauce with tomatoes, chopped carrot, celery, and onion (soffritto) and is generally made with red wine. Bolognese is short for ragù alla bolognese and is a variation of ragu. Bolognese sauce originated in Bologna, Italy (ragu comes from Naples), and uses white wine and fewer tomatoes. The pasta generally differs between sauces with thicker noodles for the Bolognese and thinner for ragu.

Tips for the perfect Beef Ragu:

• Searing the beef really locks in the flavor and is essential to the overall amazing taste of this Beef Ragu.
• Sautéing the vegetables (carrots, celery onion, and garlic) over low heat adds so much flavor and depth to this recipe; don’t skip this step!
• The pasta you use makes a huge difference. I love pappardelle pasta in this recipe and I highly recommend DeLallo’s® pappardelle pasta. (It’s perfect for this dish –not sponsored; just a fan!)
• And while we’re talking pasta, the final step of tossing the meat with reserved pasta water and hot pasta is one of the “secrets” to Italian pastas. It’s called emulsifying and that’s how you get a luxuriously smooth sauce. More info here
• Another big key is using high-quality ingredients. The one ingredient that makes the biggest difference in this dish (IMO) is the crushed tomatoes. I’ve tried a few different brands and my all-time favorite for this ragu is Muir Glen® Organic fire-roasted crushed tomatoes (again, not sponsored, just a fan!) You can see the picture of these tomatoes above this text.
• Make a day ahead! See below for more info on why.

Repurpose Beef Ragu into a different meal.

This recipe makes a lot, which is great when you’re serving it to a crowd. But if you aren’t, this is the perfect dish to make ahead and repurpose into a few different meals. Obviously, you can make it with the pappardelle pasta for several meals, but here are some other ideas for using this delicious meat sauce:

• Serve it over baked potatoes, polenta, or gnocchi.
• Pile it on top of some crusty rolls, top with mozzarella cheese, and broil.
• Serve it over zucchini noodles for a low-carb option.
• Add additional beef broth to make a hearty soup.

Serve Beef Ragu with one of the following sides:

• Italian Salad
• Caprese Salad
• Roasted Vegetables (or just Roasted Brussel Sprouts)
• Quinoa Salad
• Bruschetta

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5 from 9 votes

Beef Ragu

By Chelsea Lords

Slow-cooked Beef Ragu served over pappardelle pasta is the ultimate Italian-inspired comfort food—rich, hearty, and perfect for cozy nights!

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 7 hours hours

Slow Cooking Time: 7 hours hours

Total Time: 7 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

• Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pot
• Large slow cooker 5-court
• Large pan

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2-1/2 pounds beef chuck roast cut into 6 large equal pieces
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ 3-1/2 tablespoons olive oil divided
• ▢ 3 cups mirepoix diced onion, carrots, celery—I use a cup of each
• ▢ 1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• ▢ 1 cup red wine or beef stock/broth for non-alcoholic
• ▢ 1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes I highly recommend Muir Glen Organic fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
• ▢ 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ 3 bay leaves
• ▢ 1 large beef bouillon cube see note 1
• ▢ 3 (8-ounce) packages pappardelle pasta I recommend DeLallo's brand
• ▢ Reserved pasta water
• ▢ Freshly grated Parmesan cheese optional
• ▢ Finely chopped fresh parsley optional

Instructions 

• Dab both sides of chuck roast with a paper towel, cut into 6 even pieces, and generously salt and pepper all sides. (I use almost a full tablespoon salt and about 1 teaspoon pepper.)
• Heat 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven (or oven-safe heavy-bottomed pot) over medium-high heat. Brown pieces on all sides for 3 minutes. To get a good sear, don’t overcrowd the meat; you can sear in batches if needed). Once meat is nicely seared with a good crust, and place pieces in the slow cooker. Use a 5-quart or larger slow cooker.
• In the Dutch oven, turn heat down to medium-low and add remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. From the mirepoix, add onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Next, add carrots and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, 5–8 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
• Turn heat to high, add red wine or beef stock, and scrape up any browned bits. Stir and simmer 3 minutes, then pour stock and veggie mixture into the slow cooker. While the veggies are simmering, add everything else to the slow cooker: crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, dried thyme, dried basil, dried oregano, bay leaves, and beef bouillon cube (see note 1).
• Cover cook on low heat (high is not recommended) for 6–8 hours (The meat is perfect right around 7–7.5 hours—tested in both my slow cookers.) Remove beef, discarding any gristle or fat, and shred with 2 forks, then return to slow cooker.
• Adjust meat sauce’s seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and place on warm or cover and store in the fridge overnight if you're making ahead of time.
• When ready to serve, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a tablespoon of salt, then add the pappardelle pasta (see note 2). Cook according to package instructions but do not drain! Right before pasta is done cooking, remove 1 cup of pasta water.
• Meanwhile, place about half the meat sauce in a very large pan. Put over high heat. Once pasta is cooked, add it straight to the pan. Toss pasta with meat sauce, slowly adding in the reserved pasta water as needed. (I'll use anywhere from 1/2 cup to the full cup.) If serving a large group, use all the sauce.
• Toss everything until you have a thick sauce that coats the pasta and the pasta water has evaporated. Serve immediately topped with fresh parsley as desired and plenty of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Here are the exact beef bouillon cubes I use. These are dual strength, meaning you’ll need 2 teaspoons of bouillon powder or 2 smaller cubes.

Note 2: This dish makes a lot of food. I generally make it for 2 meals unless I’m serving a crowd. To have 2 meals, cook half the pasta and toss with half the meat sauce. Reserve the rest of the (uncooked) pasta and the rest of the meat sauce to prepare later on in the week.

Storage: Once cooked, Beef Ragu can be stored in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. If possible, keep sauce and pasta separate. To freeze, use a gallon-sized bag to freeze the sauce for up to 3 months. Avoid freezing pasta; cook it fresh when you’re ready to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 673kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 169mg | Sodium: 404mg | Potassium: 800mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 195IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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