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Slow Cooker Red Wine Sunday Ragù Pasta. Turning a classic cozy fall/winter recipe into an easy slow cooker pasta using hearty beef short ribs, red wine, tomatoes, fresh herbs, and pappardelle pasta…finished off with fresh burrata cheese! This slow-cooked Sunday dinner is a hearty and delicious meal to come home to at the end of a busy day. And the best part? It’s an easy dinner to prepare that everyone loves. You simply can’t go wrong with a dinner like this red wine Sunday Ragù. Bonus? You can also make this in the Instant Pot or slow braise in the oven.

overhead photo of Slow Cooker Red Wine Sunday Ragu Pasta

A Sunday night recipe…that’s equally great any day of the week. I just love the sound of a slow-cooked “Sunday Sauce” – don’t you?

You do, you do! And speaking of Sunday, I hope you all had a very lovely fall weekend (using the word lovely today because I use the words great and amazing way too much). Hoping it was also much warmer than mine. While Saturday was sunny, it was COLD, and then it snowed all day today. So, all in all, it was a bit of a chilly weekend.

I spent most of the weekend getting ready for the launch of HBH Super Simple. I did a lot of online shopping. And plenty of chit-chatting back and forth with you all via Instagram (my favorite thing to do!).

I can’t say that I’m well-rested, but I’m ready for the week ahead. And so ready to share one of my favorite recipes, this Sunday Ragù Sauce! Some of you may recall my original Sunday Sauce recipe. I shared it more than a few years back. It’s still a staple recipe for me…and for many of you as well (it’s a pretty popular recipe).

Today’s recipe is the updated version. It’s similar…ish, but also so different. Today’s ragù is a bit more classic. It has a richer deeper flavor, less spice, and most importantly, it’s made with red wine…and served with burrata.

Every twirl of pasta is so good.

short ribs being seared on the stove in skillet

Here are the details.

Making this Sunday ragù is EASY. You can do it in the slow cooker, the instant pot, or even slow braise the sauce in the oven. My preferred method is the slow cooker, but any of the three options are GOOD.

First up, I do recommend searing your short ribs before slow cooking. Yes, I know what a messy pain this is, but I also know that the additional flavor and texture that comes from searing the ribs adds so much to a dish like this. If you don’t have time, I get it, but please try to find it. Searing the ribs adds so much flavor to this ragù.

In addition to the ribs, there’s also bacon. The bacon adds a richness to this sauce, making it much closer to a true Italian style ragù.

Also, if you have a fancy slow cooker that has the ability to sear meats, that’s awesome. You should definitely use that function! I have my eye on this all in one browning slow cooker from All-Clad.

Slow Cooker Red Wine Sunday Ragu sauce in slow cooker

Once the ribs and bacon are set, the rest is simple as can be. Everything gets stirred together in the slow cooker then cooked low and slow all day long.

Nothing is better than the smells that will soon be coming from your kitchen. Like nothing. That’s why this ragù is so perfect for Sunday. You can throw it together in the morning, go off and do your Sunday thing. and come home to a house that smells like grandmas, with a hearty warming dinner just waiting to be served.

By the time the ragù has finished cooking, the ribs should be falling off the bone. Just remove and discard the ribs, shred the meat, and toss with the sauce. Add a little butter and grated parmesan cheese. Trust me here, you need these two ingredients to complete your sauce.

The butter makes the sauce smooth, while the parmesan adds flavors.

overhead photo of pasta

The final thing you need to do?

Pasta. My favorite cut of pasta for this style ragù is a wider cut pappardelle pasta, but tagliatelle is an equally great option. If you have a hard time finding either one simply use whatever cut of pasta your family enjoys.

Boil-off the pasta, toss with butter, and then toss with the sauce.

And that’s it – you’re ready to serve. Just be sure to add the burrata cheese and a little additional parmesan.

Oh, and a couple of chunks of rustic bread for mopping up all that sauce. DELICIOUS.

And one more thing…maybe add a glass of your favorite red wine too.

side angled photo of Slow Cooker Red Wine Sunday Ragu Pasta with fork in bowl

Do you have to wait until Sunday to make this?

Of course not! You can make this tonight or any night of the week…

But here’s my tip. Make this on Sunday for Sunday night dinner. This recipe feeds eight, so chances are you’ll have leftovers. And those leftovers…they are amazing. Probably better than the “fresh” sauce because the longer the sauce sits, the more time the flavors have to develop.

overhead photo of Slow Cooker Red Wine Sunday Ragu Pasta with fork in pasta

Obviously, you can use the ragù to served over pasta. But you can also serve it over creamy mashed potatoes, or even buttery polenta. All would be such great options, and very easy weekday meals since the sauce is already made. So you see what we did here? We just Sunday meal prepped…and it was so EASY.

Ok, and finally, this is also a great recipe for the upcoming holiday craze. Serve this to family, serve this up at your next dinner party, or even plan to serve this over Christmas. Again, you can’t go wrong. This is the EVERYTHING ragù you need in your back pocket for busy times, dinner parties, and holiday entertaining.

overhead photo of Slow Cooker Red Wine Sunday Ragu Pasta half eaten with fork in bowl

If you make this slow cooker red wine Sunday Ragù pasta, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Slow Cooker Red Wine Sunday Ragù Pasta.

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 8
Calories Per Serving: 2037 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Ingredients

  • 4-5 pounds bone in beef, short ribs
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • 3 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
  • 1 1/4 cups dry red wine, such as Sangiovese
  • 1/2 cup low sodium beef broth
  • 2 (28 ounce) cans crushed San Marzano tomatoes
  • 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely crushed or chopped
  • 3 ribs celery, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, finely chopped
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage, or 1 teaspoon dried sage
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes more or less to taste
  • 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter
  • 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese, save the rind
  • 1 pound dry pappardelle or tagliatelle pasta
  • 8 ounces burrata cheese, at room temperature, for serving
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Slow Cooker

  • 1. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon. If there's excess bacon grease, drain off all but 1 tablespoon. Add the short ribs and sear on both sides. Remove the ribs and transfer to the slow cooker along with the bacon. 
    2. To the slow cooker, add the parmesan rind, wine, broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, garlic, celery, carrot, thyme, sage, red pepper flakes, 4 tablespoons butter, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 
    3. Once done cooking, remove the short ribs, let cool slightly, then shred the meat and discard the bones, parmesan rind, and thyme.. Add the shredded meat and parmesan, toss with the sauce. Keep on warm.
    4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and toss the pasta with 4 tablespoons butter.
    6. Divide the pasta between plates, add the ragù, and toss well. Top each serving with burrata and additional parmesan.

Instant Pot

  • 1. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon. If there's excess bacon grease, drain off all but 1 tablespoon. Add the short ribs to the skillet and sear on both sides. Remove the ribs and transfer to the instant pot along with the bacon.
    2. To the instant pot, add the parmesan rind, wine, broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, garlic, celery, carrot, thyme, sage, red pepper flakes, 4 tablespoons butter, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes.
    3. Once done cooking, use the natural or quick release function. Remove the short ribs, let cool slightly, then shred the meat and discard the bones.
    4. Meanwhile, set the Instant pot to sauté. Bring to a boil, boil 5-10 minutes or until the liquid reduces just slightly. Turn the instant pot off. Remove the thyme and parmesan rind and discard. Add the shredded meat and parmesan, toss with the sauce. Keep on warm.
    5. Finish as directed above for the slow cooker.

Stove-Top

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
    2. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Cook the bacon in a large oven-safe braiser or cocotte over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon. If there's excess bacon grease, drain off all but 1 tablespoon. Add the short ribs and sear on both sides. Add the bacon back.
    2. To the pot, add the parmesan rind, wine, broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, garlic, celery, carrot, thyme, sage, red pepper flakes, 4 tablespoons butter, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 3 hours or until the short ribs are tender and falling off the bone.
    3. Once done cooking, remove the short ribs, let cool slightly, then shred the meat and discard the bones, thyme, and parmesan rind. Add the shredded meat and parmesan, toss with the sauce.
    4. Finish as directed above for the slow cooker.

Notes

Wine Replacement: I recommend an equal amount of pomegranate or cranberry juice. If you don't have that on hand, use additional beef broth.
Searing the Short Ribs: if short on time, you can skip this step, but it does add great flavor. Also, if you have a fancy slow cooker that can also sear meats, that's amazing, and you should use that function! I have my eye on this all in one browning slow cooker from All-Clad. 
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This post was originally published on October 21, 2019
4.33 from 775 votes (686 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. This is a staple recipe in our house. I keep my freezer stocked with this. Long week? Just pull a pre-portioned bag out of the freezer and cook some pasta. Gourmet dinner with zero effort.

    Reply

  2. 5 stars
    Wow. My family gobbled up this delicious dish! Even my picky eaters were happy with it. I used the slow cooker and boneless short ribs from Costco. Thank you Tieghan!

    Reply

  3. 5 stars
    I’ve made this by halving the recipe three times and it has been a huge hit with company and with kids! Half the recipe was definitely enough for four

    Reply

  4. Delicious sauce! So hearty and rich. My only issue was I made this in the Instant Pot and after 40 mins the ribs were still too tough to shred. It took an extra 60 mins for the ribs to be shreddable…don’t know if this was an issue on my end or not. Any thoughts or suggestions? Worth the wait though. Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hey Jess! Short ribs can very from cut to cut, so my guess is that yours where either larger than mine OR just on the tougher side and needed additional cooking. If they are larger, they’d just need more cooking time. Same goes if they are on the tough side. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! xTieghan

      Reply

  5. 4 stars
    Made this tonight and it was delicious. I halved the recipe and made for 4. My mistake was using canned whole tomatoes instead of crushed. Had to drain a LOOOOOT of the liquid. I’d recommend sauteeing the celery, carrots, and onions a bit before throwing them in as they were a little hard. Added some sugar to combat bitter. Meat was so tender and great flavor.
    P.S: I love your recipies and try as many as possible!

    Reply

    1. Hi Cathy! Yes, it is for low. You can cook on high for 4-5 hours, but I recommend cooking on low for best results. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  9. Hi Tieghan! I’m wondering along with another poster what cut of meat you might recommend as a substitute for beef short ribs? they are hard to find + quite expensive in my area. What do you think? Can’t wait to try this recipe 🙂

    Katelyn

    Reply

    1. HI there!! I would recommend a 4-5 pound chuck roast. That will be great and will shred nicely in the suace!! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  10. Hi! Thanks for the recipe. I also accidentally grabbed whole tomatoes instead of crushed so have a more soupy sauce than I was expecting. I also had very fatty meat. I skimmed off as much fat from the sauce as I could. Do you think transferring it to the stovetop and cooking it longer would thicken it up some more and get it closer to the desired consistency?

    Reply

    1. Hey Holly, yes the longer you cook, the thicker your sauce will be. You don’t NEED to transfer to the stove. You can keep cooking in the slow cooker. If you are short on time, then you should transfer the sauce to the stove-top for faster cooking. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  11. 4 stars
    Made this last night. It was good. Not amazing. Surprisingly bland. It cooked for 9 hours. Meat fell off bones but the meat was so fatty and there was SO much fat on the top it took me almost 30 mins to skim it off. Won’t make again.

    Reply

    1. Hi! I am sorry to hear that! Is there anything I could help you with to make this better for you? Otherwise, I hope you love other recipes on my site! xTieghan

      Reply

  13. 5 stars
    So easy and delicious! I didn’t include the Parmesan rind but I can only imagine that would make it even better. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers for the lunch the rest of the week!

    Reply

  14. 5 stars
    Oh my! The flavor of the ragu is fantastic! Everyone
    In my family devoured it. This is going to go into the regular rotation. Easy and so delicious!

    Reply

  15. 4 stars
    This was good – but honestly, I like the other bolognese recipe on your website, better! This was delicious – I made it for a friends birthday with De Cecco pappardelle and everyone loved it! However, I had to skim off OVER A CUP of fat! I got the short ribs from whole foods, but I can’t help but wonder if they weren’t as good of quality as Teighan’s? And it was a lot of work to shred the meet. I have made the other bolognese with ground beef and italian sausage twice, and LOVE it, I think I will probably use that one instead in the future!

    Reply

    1. Hi Lauren! I am sorry you had trouble with this, but so glad it still tasted great! Please let me know if you have any questions! xTieghan

      Reply