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.
Quick Tip
Pappardelle is one of the less-common kinds of pasta, but most larger grocery stores carry it. It’s a long, flat, wide noodle–imagine taking a lasagna noodle and slicing it into three long strips. That’s pretty much what pappardelle looks like. Wide egg noodles or fettuccini can fill in if you prefer. See photos farther down in this post.
Storage
Make-Ahead/Storing Tips:
- Make-Ahead: Beef Ragu is ideal for preparing ahead. Cook everything except the pasta (it will bloat) in the slow cooker, then refrigerate overnight. This makes everything taste better and thickens the sauce, making dinner prep a extra easy.
- Refrigeration: Once cooked, the ragu can be stored in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. If possible keep the sauce and pasta separate.
- Freezing: Freeze the sauce in a gallon-sized bag for up to 3 months. Avoid freezing pasta; cook it fresh when you’re ready to serve with the defrosted sauce.
Repurpose Beef Ragu into a different meal.
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
Beef Ragu
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pot
- Large slow cooker 5-court
- Large pan
Ingredients
- 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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Have the Ragu in the crock pot. I got fire roasted tomatoes, but didn’t see the word salsa style until I opened the 1st can. Gonna taste a little Tex Mex!
How’d it turn out?!
Will you share the other recipes you got from your cooking class translator?
Hey Maryjo! I am working through the lasagna recipe that was shared; here are a few others that were adapted from the class: and
Enjoy!
This is most fabulous dish! I’ve served it twice now for a fundraiser dinner and got rave reviews! Perfect instructions and WOW!
Yay!! LOVE hearing this; thank you so much for the comment and review Paige! 🙂
Do you really use 3 whole pounds of pasta for this dish? Both the dried AND the three 8-oz packages?
Sorry Diane, looks like it was written out twice, only 3 (8 ounce) packages. Thanks!
Having trouble finding the pappardelle pasta. Is there a substitution I could use?
Are you able to find Tagliatelle noodles? Otherwise I think fettuccini is your next best bet 🙂 Enjoy!
Hi Chelsea! Can the grape juice be substituted? This recipe looks delicious…Thanks!
Hey Jolene! Yes it can be 🙂 You can use beef broth or stock or red wine instead 🙂
Hi Chelsea,
I cannot figure out why you would remove the pancetta from the recipe?!? But I can just add that back easily. The milk, however, is more of a mystery to me. Where would the milk have gone in?
Hey Amy!! Just to make the recipe a little easier/more accessible, but yes easy to add it in!
As far as the milk, even on her written recipe, it is written as an optional add in. (Since I adapted this for the crockpot, the milk didn’t make a lot of sense) Here’s directly from her recipe: (1 cup milk, optional) “If using bring milk to a simmer in a small saucepan; gradually add to sauce. Cover sauce with lid slightly ajar and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until milk is absorbed, about 45 minutes, adding more stock by 1/4-cupfuls to thin if needed. NOTE: The use of milk in this recipe is by no means universal but some of the oldest versions from Bologna do use it so you might like to try it”
Holy moly this look absolutely fabulous. I need to make this and have my whole family over.
Quick question…..I didn’t see what kind of beef bouillon you use. Thanks so much for posting this. Can’t wait to make it.
Thanks Tammy!! We’ve made this for quite a few family gatherings and everyone has LOVED it 🙂 These are the cubes
Hope you love it; let me know what you think after you’ve tried it! 🙂
Is the grape juice just regular purple grape juice? You talked about red wine, but I didn’t see it in the recipe. Is the juice a substitute? Thanks
Right! 🙂 I use the grape juice in place of wine which is what a traditional ragu uses. You can use red wine if you’d like instead. Otherwise, yes, just plain 100% grape juice (purple)
I made this for my family when both grown children & their others visited us at the same time in February. HUGE SUCCESS! Thank you! Love your recipes.
Awe thank you so much Kathy! So happy you’ve been enjoying the recipes 🙂
At what step would the pancetta be added? Do you have to prep it?
3 ounces sliced pancetta add it in after the veggies! Yes I’d prep it 🙂
This is so good!! I love it! Thank you Chelsea!!
Awe thank you! 🙂 <3
Love 💕 all your recipes
Thanks Linda! 🙂 I appreciate your support so much!