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Slow cooker beef ragu with fall-apart shredded chuck roast in rich red wine tomato sauce served over pappardelle pasta

Slow Cooker Beef Ragu

Chuck roast braised low and slow in crushed tomatoes, red wine, aromatics, and herbs until it shreds into a deeply rich, coating pasta sauce. A hands-off Italian-style ragu that takes 20 minutes of prep and delivers restaurant-quality depth by dinner with minimal effort and maximum flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 8 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 512
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lbs beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 3 large chunks
  • 2 tbsp olive oil for searing
  • 1 tsp salt plus more to taste
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 medium carrots, finely diced
  • 2 stalks celery, finely diced
  • 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
  • 3/4 cup dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Chianti
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 whole bay leaves
  • 1 lb pappardelle or rigatoni pasta for serving
  • 1 small handful fresh basil and grated parmesan for serving

Equipment

  • 6-Quart Slow Cooker
  • Large Heavy Skillet for Searing
  • Two forks for shredding
  • Large Pot for Pasta

Method
 

  1. Pat beef dry and season on all sides with salt and pepper. Sear in batches in hot olive oil over high heat, 3 to 4 minutes per side until deeply browned. Transfer to slow cooker.
  2. Cook onion, carrots, and celery in the same skillet over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 minute.
  3. Deglaze skillet with red wine, scraping up browned bits. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef broth. Stir and bring to a brief simmer. Pour over beef in slow cooker.
  4. Add oregano, thyme, smoked paprika, and bay leaves. Cover and cook on low 8 to 9 hours or high 4 to 5 hours until beef shreds easily.
  5. Remove beef to a cutting board and shred coarsely with two forks. Return to slow cooker, stir into sauce, remove bay leaves, and taste for salt.
  6. Cook pasta in heavily salted water, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining. Toss pasta with ragu, adding pasta water as needed to coat. Serve with fresh basil and parmesan.

Notes

  • Pat beef completely dry before searing - surface moisture prevents browning and the flavor difference is significant.
  • Sear in batches without crowding the pan - crowded beef steams instead of browns.
  • Deglaze the skillet and add those browned bits to the slow cooker - they carry concentrated flavor.
  • Shred beef coarsely into irregular pieces, not fine strands - uneven texture holds sauce better with each forkful.
  • Reserve pasta water before draining - the starch helps the sauce cling to the pasta when tossing.
  • The ragu tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to fully develop overnight.