Slow Cooker Beef Ragu with Pappardelle (2024)

We won’t hold you up too long here because really we 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.

We also probably don’t need to tell you that this is perfect for bread dips too because you were obviously already thinking that.

In This Post: Everything For Beef Ragu with Pappardelle

• Watch How to Make Beef Ragu
• Ingredients to Make Beef Ragu
• Let’s Make Tender Beef Ragu
• What to Serve Alongside This Beef Ragu with Pappardelle
• Slow Cooker Beef Ragu: Frequently Asked Questions

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Ingredients To Make Beef Ragu with Pappardelle Pasta

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

See Also

Copycat Chick-fil-A Vegan ChickenPakistani Aloo Keema (Ground Beef and Potato Curry)Best Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Gravy - Karissa's Vegan KitchenVegan Chicken Salad (using Soy Curls) - Planty Of Eats.

Let’s Make Tender Beef Ragu

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!

1. Get your garlic cloves golden and lightly browned with a quick sauté in some olive oil.
2. Season the beef and transfer to a slow cooker. Pour in tomatoes, broth, carrots, the garlic from step one, bay leaves, and thyme.
3. 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.
4. Cook your pasta and then let that sauce and pasta hang out with each other for a few minutes. Give it a quick stir.
5. 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 This Alongside

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. Maybe you want to do just a simple green salad or a roasted broccoli salad. If you’re not feeling pasta (seems strange, but everyone has their reasons), this ragu would also be absolutely stellar piled on some polenta.

Also we mentioned crusty bread dips earlier and we do really mean that. PLEASE TRY THIS NO KNEAD BREAD WITH IT BECAUSE YOU WILL DIE OF JOY.

We love a good carb moment. Especially one that involves a sauce as luscious and cozy as this.

Slow Cooker Beef Ragu: Frequently Asked Questions

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Slow Cooker Beef Ragu with Pappardelle

4.3 from 113 reviews

• Author: Pinch of Yum
• Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x

Print Recipe

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

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Instructions

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Divide among 8 bowls and top each with Parmesan, ricotta, and parsley. Serve hot!

Equipment

Slow Cooker

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The equipment section may contain affiliate links to products we know and love.

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.

Freezer Meal Version

1. 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
   1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
   1/2 teaspoon thyme
   2 bay leaves
2. Instant Pot Instructions: High pressure 45 mins + 10 mins natural release
3. Slow Cooker Instructions: High setting 6 hours (thaw first)
4. Final Step: Shred the meat and serve with pasta, baked potatoes, polenta, rice, cauliflower rice, gnocchi, zucchini noodles, etc.
5. Check out our full freezer meal posts with all recipes and instructions here!

• 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

View the freezer meal version of this recipe here.

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One More Thing!

This recipe is part of our collection of easy pasta recipes. Check it out!