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CrockPot Short Rib Ragu Recipe

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★★★★★

4.8 from 53 reviews

This CrockPot Short Rib Ragu is a rich and hearty Italian-inspired dish featuring tender, slow-cooked short ribs simmered with aromatic vegetables, tomatoes, red wine, and herbs. Served with pappardelle pasta, it’s a comforting meal perfect for a cozy dinner, delivering deep flavors developed through slow cooking and searing.

Ingredients

Scale

Meat and Seasoning

  • 3.5 lb short ribs, about 6–8 pieces
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Vegetables and Aromatics

  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 1 onion, small diced
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 4–5 garlic cloves, minced

Liquids and Seasonings

  • 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1/3 cup red wine (or more beef stock as substitute)
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 6 oz tomato paste
  • 1/2 to 1 cup reserved pasta water

Pasta

  • 16 oz pappardelle pasta

Instructions

  1. Prepare and Sear Short Ribs: Pat the short ribs dry and season all sides generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the short ribs until browned on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Once browned, transfer the short ribs to the crock pot.
  2. Add Vegetables and Liquids: Layer the chopped carrots, onion, celery, and minced garlic on top of the short ribs in the crock pot. Sprinkle in the Italian seasoning, add the bay leaves, then pour in the red wine, beef stock, and balsamic vinegar. Finally, pour the crushed tomatoes over everything to cover.
  3. Slow Cook the Ragu: Cover the crock pot with its lid and set it to cook on low for 7 to 9 hours, until the beef is tender and falls easily from the bones. Occasionally skim the top layer of fat if desired to reduce greasiness.
  4. Shred the Meat and Mix Sauce: Carefully remove the short ribs from the crock pot and shred the meat, discarding any large pieces of fat and bones. Return the shredded meat to the crock pot and stir in the tomato paste to enrich the sauce.
  5. Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pappardelle pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Before draining, reserve about 1/2 cup of pasta water.
  6. Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water to the crock pot and stir well to loosen the sauce. Immediately add the drained pasta to the crock pot and toss thoroughly to coat the noodles with the ragu sauce.
  7. Serve: Plate the pasta and short rib ragu and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley if desired. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for later use.

Notes

  • Searing the meat before slow cooking adds a richer flavor to both the meat and the sauce, so it’s highly recommended not to skip this step.
  • Choose short ribs with the bone still attached for more flavor and better texture. The bones also make shredding easier after cooking.
  • Short ribs have considerable fat content which can make the ragu greasy. To manage this: skim fat from the top after cooking, trim some fat from the ribs before cooking but keep enough to maintain moisture, or chill the sauce overnight and remove solidified fat before reheating.
  • Cooking the sauce a day ahead and refrigerating enhances the flavor and makes fat removal easier.

Keywords: short rib ragu, crockpot recipes, slow cooker ragu, Italian beef ragu, pappardelle pasta sauce, comfort food, slow cooked beef

Find it online: https://cheframi.com/crockpot-short-rib-ragu-recipe/