Slow Cooker Ragu Sauce (Printable version)
A rich Italian meat sauce slowly simmered to develop deep, hearty flavors and perfect for pasta.
# Ingredient list:
→ Meats
01 - 1.1 lb ground beef (or half beef, half pork)
02 - 3.5 oz pancetta or smoked bacon, finely diced
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
03 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 carrots, peeled and diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
→ Liquids
07 - 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
08 - 3 tbsp tomato paste
09 - ½ cup dry red wine
10 - ½ cup beef or chicken broth
→ Seasonings
11 - 2 tsp dried oregano
12 - 1 tsp dried basil
13 - 1 bay leaf
14 - ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Finishing
16 - 2 tbsp olive oil
17 - Fresh parsley or basil, chopped, for serving
# Directions:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta, onion, carrots, and celery; sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add ground beef (and pork if used), break apart with a spoon, and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
04 - Transfer meat mixture to slow cooker. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, broth, oregano, basil, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper; stir to combine.
05 - Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours until thick and flavorful.
06 - Remove bay leaf. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Serve sauce hot over pasta and garnish with fresh parsley or basil.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It tastes like someone spent all day cooking, but you barely touched it after the first 15 minutes.
- The slow cooker does the heavy lifting while you live your life, and dinner smells incredible when you walk in the door.
- It freezes beautifully, so you're really making three dinners at once without the effort.
02 -
- The first few minutes in the hot skillet are not optional—that's where you build the deep, complex flavor that makes people think you've been cooking all day.
- Don't skip the bay leaf, even though you remove it at the end; it subtly seasons the entire sauce and makes a noticeable difference.
- If your sauce tastes flat after cooking, you probably need more salt, not more herbs—taste and adjust boldly before serving.
03 -
- The brown, caramelized bits stuck to the bottom of your skillet after browning the meat are pure flavor—don't rinse them away, and don't waste them by leaving them behind.
- A slow cooker with a low setting is your friend here; it cooks gently and doesn't risk reducing the sauce too much or cooking off the subtle wine flavors you worked hard to build.