Crockpot Short Rib Ragu With Red Wine Tomato Sauce
By Isabella Quinn
Prep
15 min
Cook
420 min
Total
435 min
Servings
8
Level
Easy
Searing the short ribs builds browned flavor before low, steady cooking loosens the meat from its bones. This Crockpot short rib ragu finishes with fall-apart beef in a red wine tomato sauce that clings to pappardelle.
English-cut, bone-in short ribs bring substantial beef flavor, while carrots, onion, celery, garlic, crushed tomatoes, stock, wine, and balsamic vinegar make the slow-cooker base. Italian seasoning and bay leaves steep in the liquid during the long cook. Tomato paste is stirred in after shredding to thicken the sauce, and reserved pasta water helps it coat the pappardelle.
The ribs are ready when the meat easily falls apart and pulls cleanly from the bones, rather than merely feeling soft around the edges. Browning should be done before the slow cooker, when the meat releases from the skillet. Cooking on high is not recommended, and leaving excess rendered oil in the pot can make the finished ragu look greasy.
Toss the hot, drained pappardelle directly into the sauce and finish with freshly grated Parmesan and chopped parsley. The sauce can also be served over gnocchi, garlic Parmesan mashed potatoes, or spaghetti squash. For freezing, portion the ragu before adding pasta; chilled sauce may develop a removable layer of fat on top.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Browning the short ribs before slow cooking builds deeper browned flavor, giving both the beef and tomato sauce more character than an unseared start.
- Low cooking for 7 to 9 hours breaks the ribs down gradually, producing meat that falls from the bones without needing constant attention.
- Tomato paste goes in after shredding, so it thickens the finished cooking liquid around the beef rather than sitting on the pot’s bottom.
- Reserved pasta water helps the ragu adhere to pappardelle, creating a cohesive sauce instead of a loose tomato mixture beneath the noodles.
- Skimming oil after the ribs cook lets you control the sauce’s finish, especially because well-marbled short ribs render a noticeable amount of fat.
- Bone-in English-cut ribs add flavor during the long cook, and the bones separate easily once the meat is tender enough to shred.
Ingredients
- •3.5 lb short ribs (about 6-8 pieces)
- •salt (to taste)
- •pepper (to taste)
- •1 Tbsp olive oil
- •3 carrots (chopped)
- •1 onion (small diced)
- •2 stalks celery (chopped)
- •14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
- •4 cloves garlic (4-5 cloves, minced)
- •2 tsp Italian seasoning
- •2 bay leaves
- •1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- •0.33 cup red wine (or more beef stock)
- •1 cup beef stock
- •6 oz tomato paste
- •0.5 cup reserved pasta water (1/2-1 cup)
- •16 oz pappardelle pasta
- •Parmesan cheese (freshly grated, for serving)
- •parsley (chopped, for serving)
Instructions
- 1
Pat the short ribs dry and season generously on all sides with salt and pepper.
- 2
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until glistening.
- 3
Sear the short ribs on all sides until browned, allowing each side to release from the skillet before turning.
- 4
Transfer the browned short ribs to the crock pot.
- 5
Top the ribs with the carrots, onion, celery, Italian seasoning, red wine, beef stock, garlic, bay leaves, and balsamic vinegar, then cover the mixture with crushed tomatoes.
- 6
Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, until the beef falls apart and comes off the bones; skim the top layer of oil if desired.
- 7
Remove the short ribs, shred them with two forks, discard large pieces of fat and the bones, then return the meat to the crock pot with the tomato paste and stir.
- 8
Boil the pappardelle until al dente, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining.
- 9
Add 1/3-1/2 cup reserved pasta water to the crock pot and stir the ragu.
- 10
Add the drained pasta immediately and toss it with the short rib ragu sauce.
- 11
Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.
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