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Slow Cooked Beef Ragu with Pappardelle is hands down one of the best comforting and flavourful pasta recipes! Chunks of beef are braised then simmered for hours on stovetop or in the slow-cooker with garlic, onion, tomatoes, veggies, spices and herbs then served with pappardelle pasta and parmigiano-reggiano cheese!
If you’re a hearty pasta lover like me, you have to try my Italian Sausage Skillet Lasagna, my One Pot Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta with Sausage and definitely my Creamy Sun Dried Tomato and Spinach Seafood Pasta which are all the best crowd pleasers!
Table of Contents
- Slow Cooked Beef Ragu with Pappardelle
- What is Ragu?
- Best Pasta to Serve with Ragu
- What is Pappardelle?
- More Pasta Recipes You Might Enjoy
- What Do You Need to Make Beef Ragu with Pappardelle
- How to Make Slow Cooked Beef Ragu with Pappardelle
- Watch How to Make Slow Cooked Beef Ragu with Pappardelle
- How to Serve Beef Ragu
- Slow Cooked Beef Ragu with Pappardelle Recipe Tips
- Using a Slow-Cooker for Beef Ragu with Pappardelle?
- Other Delicious One Pot Pasta Recipes To Try
- Slow Cooked Beef Ragu with Pappardelle Recipe
- DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
- ARE YOU STILL HUNGRY?
Slow Cooked Beef Ragu with Pappardelle
This robust and tender, fall-apart tomato beef sauce is everything your dinner menu needs! Ragu with Pappardelle is one of my favourite ways to enjoy pasta. It’s a beautiful combination of beef, pasta and tomato sauce that’s slow-cooked on the stove-top or slow cooker until perfect!
Here are some other reasons why I love this Slow Cooked Beef Ragu with Pappardelle recipe:
- Beef is slowed cooked which allows for it to soak up all the rich flavors and easily falls apart
- Perfect easy.meal on the weekend with enough leftovers for the week ahead
- Leftover sauce can be used in sandwiches as an easy way to switch up the recipe
What is Ragu?
Ragu is a meat-based sauce, often made with beef, pork, veal, lamb or a combination and typically served with pasta. The meat is then slow cooked on low heat in a tomato or wine-based mixture over an extended period of time.
Best Pasta to Serve with Ragu
Unlike other pasta sauces, Ragu is a more rich and hearty sauce – thick with chunks of beef. More common pasta types, like spaghetti, fettuccine, linguine, penne etc. may not hold up well against the sauce, as such I recommend using Pappardelle pasta.
What is Pappardelle?
Pappardelle is a large, very broad, flat egg pasta and is typically served with meaty sauces. For this recipe, it works as an exceptional choice as the shredded beef easily clings to the wide strands.
More Pasta Recipes You Might Enjoy
What Do You Need to Make Beef Ragu with Pappardelle
- Olive Oil
- Chuck Beef or other slow cooking beef cut of your choice, cut into large pieces
- Cloves Garlic
- Onion
- Celery
- Carrots
- Beef Broth
- Crushed Tomatoes, canned
- Tomato Paste
- Water
- Italian Herb Blend or combination of equal parts thyme, basil and oregano
- Bay Leaves
- Granulated White Sugar
- Salt & Black Pepper
- Pappardelle Pasta cooked
- Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, optional
How to Make Slow Cooked Beef Ragu with Pappardelle
Step 1: Brown Beef – pat dry beef and generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over high heat. Add beef and sear each side until very browned, then remove from heat and transfer to a plate; work in batches if needed.
Step 2: Add Aromatics and Veggies – turn heat down to medium and add remaining tbsp of olive oil. Add garlic and sauté for about a minute, then add onion and continue sautéing for another minute. Then, deglaze the pot by adding ½ cup beef broth and simmer for about one minute (scraping with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits that might be stuck on). Add carrots and celery and sauté for around 3-5 minutes.
Step 3: Add Remaining Ingredients – canned crushed tomatoes, remaining beef broth, water, Italian herb blend, bay leaves, granulated white sugar, salt, black pepper and bring to a slight simmer. Return beef and juices to the pot, then cover and lower heat to low and let cook slowly for 3 hours or until beef tender to shred.
Step 4: Shred Beef & Serve – when beef tender, remove from pot and shred using two forks. Then, return shredded beef to the pot and stir in. Add in cooked Pappardelle pasta and toss to coat in sauce. Serve with fresh parmigiano-reggiano cheese and enjoy!
Watch How to Make Slow Cooked Beef Ragu with Pappardelle
How to Serve Beef Ragu
Ragu with Pappardelle is a true one pot meal once you add the pasta. However, feel free to serve beef ragu with the following side dishes:
- Zucchini Noodles (zoodles)
- Spaghetti Squash
- Creamy Polenta
- Rice
Slow Cooked Beef Ragu with Pappardelle Recipe Tips
- If too Much Liquid Evaporates – at step three, you may need to add a splash of water or broth if too much evaporates or if your beef is taking longer to cook.
- Taste Test – taste test and adjust the seasoning to your taste with salt and pepper, and Italian herb blend.
- Add Sugar to Adjust Acidity – sugar cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and creates an overall more balanced sauce; add sugar to adjust taste to your liking.
Using a Slow-Cooker for Beef Ragu with Pappardelle?
If using a slow cooker for this recipe, follow all steps outlined but OMIT water and REDUCE beef broth to 1/2 cup. Slow cook on LOW for 7-8 hours, or HIGH for 4-5 hours. Time will vary depending on appliance and cut of beef used. The beef is ready if it falls apart easily when pulled apart with two forks.
Other Delicious One Pot Pasta Recipes To Try
Creamy Sun Dried Tomato & Spinach Seafood Pasta & One Pot Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta with Sausage
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Slow Cooked Beef Ragu with Pappardelle
Equipment
- Enameled Dutch Oven, 6 Qt
- Slow Cooker (Optional)
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil, divided
- 2 pounds Chuck Beef, or other slow cooking beef cut of your choice, cut into large pieces
- Salt & Pepper
- 5 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Onion, small, finely diced
- 1 cup Celery, finely diced
- 1 cup Carrots, finely diced
- 1 ½ cup Beef Broth, divided
- 3 ½ cup Crushed Tomatoes, canned
- 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1 cup Water
- 1 tbsp Italian Herb Blend, or combination of equal parts thyme, basil and oregano
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 tsp Granulated White Sugar, more or less to taste
- 2 tsp Salt, more or less to taste
- 2 tsp Black Pepper, more or less to taste
- 500 g Pappardelle Pasta, cooked
- Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, freshly grated as desired
Instructions
- Pat dry beef and generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over high heat. Add beef and sear each side until very browned, then remove from heat and transfer to a plate; work in batches if needed.
- Turn heat down to medium and add remaining tbsp of olive oil. Add garlic and sauté for about a minute, then add onion and continue sautéing for another minute. Then, deglaze the pot by adding ½ cup beef broth and simmer for about one minute (scraping with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits that might be stuck on). Add carrots and celery and sauté for around 3-5 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients to the pot: canned crushed tomatoes, remaining beef broth, water, Italian herb blend, bay leaves, granulated white sugar, salt, black pepper and bring to a slight simmer. Return beef and juices to the pot, then cover and lower heat to low and let cook slowly for 3 hours or until beef tender to shred.
- When beef tender, remove from pot and shred using two forks. Then, return shredded beef to the pot and stir in. Add in cooked Pappardelle pasta and toss to coat in sauce. Serve with fresh parmigiano-reggiano cheese and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Outstanding recipe! I made it in my instant pot which saved time…delicious
Amazing!! So glad it worked out in the instant pot as well! Thanks so much and I’m so happy you enjoyed Steve!!
I can’t go by recipe 100% it’s the rebel in me. I did use all ingredients not by letter but close. Only just tweeked to our taste. It’s AMAZING! I opened windows while it simmered & had neighbors outside smelling the air ? Thanks for posting recipe. I will be taking full credit thou lol
LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL! You are too hilarious – and that’s perfect, use the posted recipe as a guideline and then tweak to make it yours! Love that for you! So thrilled you enjoyed!
Sounds delicious! Can’t wait to make it. Can you freeze this?
Thanks Lynda! I hope you enjoy! You can certainly freeze the sauce separate from the pasta and use at a later date!
This was delicious! I made it with just a few minor tweaks and everyone loved it.
So happy to hear this! Thanks so much for letting me know it was enjoyed!!
What wine would you add and how much?
Hi Laura, doesn’t have to be anything fancy, a simple red wine will suffice – i.e. chianti, merlot or cabernet sauvignon.
Can this be cooked in the oven low and slow? Or best over stovetop
Absolutely Nicole – low and slow in oven is just fine as well…and probably more hands off too!