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A beautiful and effortless Northern Italian recipe, this Slow Cooker Beef Ragù with Pappardelle is warm and welcoming after a long day at work. Slow-braised beef, tomato, carrots, onions, and a hint of red wine cooked until it practically melts over the noodles--there's no better way to eat. 

Slow Cooker Beef Ragu with Pappardelle

A beautiful and effortless Northern Italian recipe, this Slow Cooker Beef Ragù with Pappardelle is warm and welcoming after a long day at work. Slow-braised beef, tomato, carrots, onions, and a hint of red wine cooked until it practically melts over the noodles--there's no better way to eat. 

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword beef, pasta, slow cooker
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Slow Cooker 4 hours
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 710 kcal

Ingredients

For the Beef Ragu:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil plus more as needed
  • 2 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast cut in half if needed to fit in pot
  • Salt preferably kosher
  • 1 large onion finely diced (2 cups)
  • 1 cup carrots finely diced (2 carrots)
  • 1 cup celery finely diced (2 stalks)
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup dry red wine such as pinot noir, or substitute broth
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons fennel seeds crushed
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried

For serving:

  • 1 pound pappardelle
  • Parmesan cheese for serving, optional
  • Fresh basil or thyme for serving, optional

Instructions

  1. In a Dutch oven or large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sprinkle beef generously with salt on all sides. Add to pot in a single layer and sear without moving until a dark brown crust forms on one side, about 5 to 6 minutes. 

  2. Flip meat over and continue browning on the second side until a dark crust forms. Remove from pot and transfer to slow cooker.

  3. Swirl the pot to make sure there are at least 2 tablespoons oil and/or rendered fat. If not, add 1-2 tablespoons more. Add onion, carrots, celery, and a pinch of salt and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot (aka delicious flavor). 

  4. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

  5. Stir in crushed tomatoes, broth, wine, tomato paste, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes (if using), and thyme. Bring to boil and transfer to slow cooker.

  6. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours or LOW for 8 to 10 hours. Remove bay leaves and thyme stems (if you used fresh sprigs). Shred meat with two forks. Season to taste with salt and pepper and keep warm while preparing pasta.

To serve:

  1. Bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions, about 3 to 4 minutes for fresh pappardelle or 6 to 8 minutes for dried. Stir occasionally to separate the noodles.

  2. Remove 2 cups of pasta cooking water from pot, then drain well. Add drained pasta back to pot. Add sauce and toss to coat, adding pasta cooking water as needed to make the sauce the consistency that you want (start with 1/4 cup if desired and see what you think). 

  3. Serve with parmesan cheese and fresh basil or thyme if desired.