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Slow Cooked Beef Ragu with Pappardelle in grey speckled bowl

Slow Cooked Beef Ragu with Pappardelle

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!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 20 minutes
Course: Beef, Fall, Italian, Main Dishes & Entrees, Noodles & Pasta, Slow Cooker, Winter
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: beef ragu, beef ragu with pappardelle, beef recipes, braised beef, pappardelle, pasta recipes, ragu, ragu sauce, slow cooked shredded ragu, slow cooker, slow cooker recipes
Servings: 5 servings
Author: Taneisha Morris

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!

Notes

If Using a Slow Cooker - 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.
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.
See detailed notes above for additional tips.