We’re making this cozy, comforting Beef Ragu with Pappardelle! Steak is braised in the crockpot for hours with garlic, tomatoes, veggies, and herbs, then shredded and piled high on pappardelle with Parm cheese.
Slow Cooker Beef Ragu with Pappardelle
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Thank you for a beautiful pappardelle recipe. Made this tonight for my family and the kitchen smells divine. It tastes even better.
Onkar Bhosale
Video For Beef Ragu
Slow Cooker Beef Ragu Is The MVP Of Dinner.
I won’t hold you up too long here because really I just want you to spend some quiet blissful minutes looking at these gorgeous pasta shots and know that this slow-cooked beef ragu is every bit as luscious and comforting as it looks.
It is absolutely packed with juicy tomato and big garlic flavor, tender shredded beef that swims in a little almost gravy-ish situation, all twirling and swirling around big wide chewy pappardelle. Hello, are you crying? It’s all just so beautiful.
I also probably don’t need to tell you that this is perfect for bread dips too, because you were obviously already thinking that.
This recipe is originally from the amazing Skinnytaste cookbook, called Fast and Slow (affiliate link), which is loaded with awesome recipes for real people and we are just real big fans of Gina over here. Because this recipe is a slow cooker dream, it comes together pretty easily!
This is a weeknight, slow-cooked winner. I hope you love it too.
Ingredients You’ll Need
In addition to a few pantry staples, there’s not a super long ingredient list to get this cozy, rich bowl of comfort on your table.
- garlic
- flank steak (chuck roast can also work)
- can crushed tomatoes
- beef broth
- carrot
- bay leaves, fresh thyme
- pappardelle pasta
- salt and pepper
- parmesan, ricotta, and parsley for topping
How To Make Beef Ragu In The Slow Cooker
Once you get it all together in the slow cooker, you’re pretty much there and ready to go!
- Sauté Garlic: Get your garlic cloves golden and lightly browned with a quick sauté in some olive oil.
- Put Everything In A Slow Cooker: Season the beef and transfer to a slow cooker. Pour in tomatoes, broth, carrots, the garlic from step one, bay leaves, and thyme.
- Cook: Set that slow cooker to a low simmer and walk away for the day! Once done, discard the herbs and shred the beef in the pot.
- Make Pasta: Cook your pasta and then let that sauce and pasta hang out with each other for a few minutes. Give it a quick stir.
- Serve: Top with some excessive piles of parmesan cheese, ricotta, and parsley or fresh basil.
We gave it a whirl and yes, this totally can be made in the Instant Pot in a pinch (see recipe notes for instructions), but why not fill your house with the smells of cozy dinner all day long?
What To Serve With Beef Ragu
Plenty of options to round out your table for this beauty even though it will be hard for anyone to focus on anything else once they have these joyous bowls of pasta in front of them. But here’s what I recommend:
- Pasta (pappardelle, fettuccine, or rigatoni are best), polenta, or mashed potatoes.
- Simple Green Salad
- Homemade Garlic Bread or No Knead Bread
Dream dinnertime lineup!
Slow Cooker Beef Ragu: Frequently Asked Questions
Can this be made in an Instant Pot / pressure cooker?
Yes! We followed the recipe as-is for 45 minutes on Manual and it turned out great. A quick release should work, but if it splatters, feel free to do a natural release.
You can also check out this recipe for Instant Pot Short Rib Ragu – made in the Instant Pot and insanely delicious!
Can this be made in the oven?
I haven’t tested this in the oven, but I would image it would work in a Dutch oven as well. Based on similar recipes, it should work well at 350 degrees for about 3 hours.
Would it work to freeze this and heat later?
Yes! Cook and then freeze in an airtight container in the freezer, thaw overnight when you’re ready to re-heat on the stove. Or you can freeze before cooking and then make in the Instant Pot.
I have extra sauce. How long will it last?
It should last about 1 week in the fridge and up to 6 months in the freezer.
What other cuts of beef work in this recipe?
Flank steak or skirt steak are best here, but a chuck roast also works. Just cut it into 3-4 large chunks before cooking.
Would this work with chicken or pork?
For sure. I would probably opt for chicken thighs (more tender and luscious!) or a pork butt roast to make this a pork ragu.
Slow Cooker Beef Ragu with Pappardelle
- Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
We’re making this cozy, comforting Beef Ragu with Pappardelle! Steak is braised in the crockpot for hours with garlic, tomatoes, veggies, and herbs, then shredded and piled high on pappardelle with Parm cheese.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed slightly
- 1 1/2 pounds flank steak, cut against the grain into 4 pieces
- salt and pepper
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup reduced sodium beef broth
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 16 ounces pappardelle pasta
- Parmesan, ricotta, and parsley for topping
Instructions
- In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden and lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
- Season the beef with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the tomatoes and broth over the beef and add the garlic from step one, carrots, bay leaves, and thyme.
- Cover and cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours. Discard the herbs and shred the beef in the pot using 2 forks.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, return to the pot, and add the sauce from the slow cooker. Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring, until the pasta and sauce are combined, about 1 minute.
- Divide among 8 bowls and top each with Parmesan, ricotta, and parsley. Serve hot!
Equipment
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Notes
This recipe comes from the brand new Skinnytaste cookbook, Fast and Slow (affiliate link).
Instant Pot Instructions: We followed the recipe as-is for 45 minutes on Manual and it turned out great. A quick release should work, but if it splatters, feel free to do a natural release.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Keywords: slow cooker beef ragu, beef ragu with pappardelle, beef ragu recipe
Make It A Freezer Meal!
Freeze Together:
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 cup mirepoix, fresh or frozen
- 2 pounds flank steak or beef chuck, cut into 4 pieces
- 2 teaspoons salt
- one 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 2 bay leaves
To Cook:
INSTANT POT: For beef chuck: From frozen, 65 minutes on high pressure + 10 minutes nature release. For top sirloin: From frozen, 45 minutes on high pressure + 10 minutes nature release.
SLOW COOKER: From thawed, 6 hours on high.
FINAL STEP: Shred the meat and serve with pasta, baked potatoes, polenta, rice, cauliflower rice, gnocchi, zucchini noodles, etc.
View more healthy freezer meals here!
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our collection of easy pasta recipes. Check it out!
Filed Under: All Recipes Dairy-Free Dinner Fall Main Dishes Meat and Chicken Pasta Quick and Easy Recipes Slow Cooker Stovetop Tomato
September 7, 2021
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
Did you make a recipe? Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram so we can find you!
Is this missing a step? What do you with the garlic and oil from Step 1? Do you cook the beef in it before transferring to the crock pot (Step 2)? Or do you just put the oil & garlic into the crockpot??
Not missing a step, you add it to the slow cooker with the beef and vegetables.
Yep, just put it in the crockpot!
This looks delicious and such beautiful photos! Love how entertaining your posts always are!! They’re such a joy to read. You’ve seriously brightened up my otherwise boring Monday afternoon 🙂
Thanks Rhian! Glad to hear that!
Hi Lindsay! Would it be accurate to use half of all the ingredients if I’m only cooking for 2? What should the cooking time be? Thanks!
You can half it and have leftovers!
You can make half and have the leftovers the next day.
Loving this right now! I’ve got a shoulder of lamb that will be getting this treatment tomorrow… with my brand new slow cooker! What a way to break it in! Thanks.
Love that idea Debs!
This sounds like my kind of cookbook! I’ve been on bed rest for the last month with no end in sight, so slow cooker meals have been a lifesaver. Beef ragu is a fav comfort meal here for sure.
Feel better!
I prepared this exactly as written and was …disappointed. I thought it was lacking flavor. I keep looking back through the ingredients and steps to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Oh well, this one wasn’t for us. On to the next!
I just had the same experience! Keep re-reading… what did I do wrong? I am dumping salt on it to try and save it but I might just throw it all out. :(. My first miss from this website- leaving the feedback so others will skip this recipe, definitely not knocking the website !
How funny. I have the exact opposite reaction. I love this recipe, and so does my family! We thought it was incredibly flavorful! Sorry to hear you had such a different experience. It is on regular rotation for us now!
Oh my gosh, I hope you can back to it soon Jill!
Lindsay, you’re the sweetest!! I want to be YOU when I grow up and learn how to write like you!! Thank you for your kind review and it was so nice seeing you this weekend!
Agreed. Always love being around your positive energy. 🙂
can you use regular spaghetti
Yes you can!
ok so:
1. this looks amazing & can’t wait to try it.
2. i am obsessed with that bowl, lindsay!! was it made by bjork’s dad??
I know, right? Bjork’s dad didn’t make this one! It’s from Speck and Stone. You can look her up on Instagram or her website. She is extremely talented!
OH MY GOODNESS. I love shredded beef almost as much as I love pappardelle! Putting this on the menu this week, thanks for posting!
Thanks Rachel! Hope you like it!
Never made a rich pasta ragu like this, but this is inspiring me to actually use my slow cooker (:
This looks amazing! Totally looks like something Rachael Ray would whip out!
Ha! Thanks, Chels!
Gosh! I am a pasta addict and this beef ragu with pappardelle looks amazing! Could eat it every day of the week it looks soo good! 🙂
Thanks, Julia! 🙂
Looks delish!
This dish looks simply amazing. The perfect comfort food needed for a Monday. Can’t wait to give it a try!
Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
I’m making it right now but we eat gluten free so will serve on zucchini noodles!
Sounds delicious! 🙂
Umm Lucky!! I wanna meet Gina 🙂 she has always seemed so genuinely sweet and the girl makes healthy delicious! 🙌 can’t wait to try that right up there☝tho 😍
It is really frustrating as a fellow reader to have ppl “rate” the recipe with stars when they haven’t tried it yet. If you “can’t wait to try” it / haven’t made it yet please don’t rate. When I look at the “stats” of what the average rating is to help decide if I want to make a recipe, posts like yours mess it up.
Thank you for saying this! Just post after you’ve made it!
Yes, exactly. Ratings mean nothing if they don’t come from actual experience.
I agree. Very irritating.
Hi! How well does the sauce freeze/last in the fridge? This sounds delicious!
Hmmm we’d give the fridge about a week, and the freezer up to six months!
Lindsay and Gina I can’t tell you how much my boyfriend and I loved this! Delicious and perfect in the cockpot when one of you has a last minute meeting (w, me) And the other works over night (him) next I want to try it with the polenta!
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. 6 hours is quite long and I can’t stay home all-day for some errands. Would it be okay to use a pressure cooker to cook the beef? The combination of beef and pasta is really awesome. I hope I can cook this perfectly. Thanks for sharing.
We don’t have a ton of experience with pressure cookers, so can’t really say! Keep in mind that with the crockpot, you can set it and then leave while it cooks. 🙂
I had JUST been thinking I would use a pot roast for the beef in my pressure cooker. When I cook flank steak I cook it very medium rare so it is hard to imagine cooking it for so many hours. But I like this recipe idea with a pot roast, and having some sour cream on hand to add to a bite to see how that is. Okay – I’ll be ‘brave’ (I’m 64) and do it both ways at the same time – splitting the recipe between the two meats. 🙂
Looks delicious Lindsay! I have a love-hate relationship with my slow cooker and would love to see you using pressure cooker in some of your recipes cuz that’s my best friend in the kitchen 😉
Where do you get your pottery? This bowl is so beautiful! (And the food is too! 😉 😉 )
Hi Sarah! This bowl is from Speck and Stone. She’s amazing!
I made this tonight, and it was delicious! My husband loved it too!
Glad to hear it! 🙂
Can’t wait to try! Could I use short rib instead of flank steak? If so, would everything including cook time remain the same?
We think so! We’ve never tried it, but think cook time should be about the same.
Short ribs would need the same amount of time, and actually pork ribs for that long would be excellent, too. You could just pick the bones out by the times end. Yum!
REALLY, really good and so easy! My whole family enjoyed this and THAT is so rare!!
Awesome! Glad to hear it!
The perfect quick, easy and cheap dish! However, I ended up pairing my meat mixture with mashed potatoes rather then pasta. 10 out of 10 dish.
Sounds awesome! Glad you enjoyed it!
I made this yesterday and love it! I amended the recipe a little bit b/c I needed to use up some items in my fridge and pantry. I cooked it on high for 4 hours in my slow cooker and it came out perfectly. Thanks again for another awesome recipe!! Congrats on the baby!
Thanks, Sarah! Glad you enjoyed it!
Just made this recipe yesterday. Turned out rich and delicious 🙂 Thanks for the great recipe!
Glad to hear it, Jennifer!
I made it at lunch yesterday and the family loved it. Simple and easy to do!