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Our go-to Crockpot Sunday Sauce. Slow simmered Italian-style tomato sauce cooked with short ribs. If thereโs one cozy fall and winter meal you need to be making, itโs this Sunday sauce. Itโs a simple-to-put-together family-style meal that smells incredible while cooking away all day. Serve over hot pasta with freshly grated parmesan, basil, and a side of garlic bread. A hearty dinner thatโs lovely on a Sunday, but equally great any night you decide to serve.
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Itโs Monday, but weโre making Sunday sauce. This recipe is so special. Of course, you can make it any day of the week. But I find it best when slow-cooked all Sunday long. Because there really is nothing cozier on a Sunday, than an incredible smelling dinner cooking away.
Add to the ambiance with fresh garlic bread and a candle burning in the background. My ideal kind of fall night.
As I type this, Iโm in New York and loving my time here. Fall is beautiful in this city and the chilly nights have had me craving slow-cooker meals. I think most of us are on the same page.
With the weather officially cold and November just around the corner, itโs the time of year when we all start to stay in more, host casual dinners with friends, and embrace the cozy season. This sauce is the perfect recipe to have in your rotation of easy, special dinners to share with family and friends.
Itโs an oldie-but-goodie recipe that I make throughout the fall and winter months, and one my family loves.
Here are the details
Start by searing the ribs in a nice big skillet. Or if using the oven method, a cocotte thatโs oven safe. When the ribs are browned, pull them out and add them to the bowl of your crockpot/slow cooker (whatever youโd prefer to call it).
At this point, everything else goes in. The tomatoes, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes, red wine, carrots, onions, jalapeรฑos, and Italian seasoning.
I also add a parmesan rind for extra flavor, plus 1 whole head of garlic right on top of the sauce. Then, slow cook all day long. The more time the sauce has to really simmer away, the more flavor it will develop.
Just before the sauce is finished cooking, I pull out the head of garlic, then squash out the cloves.
Take the cloves and melt them together with salted butter on the stove. As the butter slowly melts, smash the cloves down and allow some of the garlic to get crispy as the butter begins to brown.
When the butter is browned, I pour the garlicky goodness right back into the sauce. Of course, this step is not crucial to the recipe. But it really adds a special richness to the sauce thatโs very delicious.
For serving
I always, always serve the sauce over hot pasta, topped with freshly grated parmesan and basil. Polenta could be another nice option if youโre looking for something other than pasta.
This sauce is also really great without the short ribs, just cook it up with your favorite meatballs.
Be sure to include some kind of bread, we love garlic bread or beer bread. A nice salad alongside is perfect too.
Yummmy, as Oslo loves to say. This is always a crowd pleaser!
Looking for other slow cooked fall recipes? Here are a few ideas:ย
Red Wine Cranberry Braised Short Ribs
Slow Cooker Red Wine Braised Short Rib Pasta
Slow Cooker Coq au Vin with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
Cider Braised Short Ribs with Caramelized Onions
Lastly, if you make this Crockpot Sunday Sauce, 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, donโt forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crockpot Sunday Sauce
Ingredientsย
- 5 pounds bone in beef short ribs
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- 2 cans (28 ounce) crushed san Marzano tomatoes
- 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
- 1/2 cup chopped oil packed sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups red wine
- 2 carrots, cut into large pieces
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1/3 cup pickled jalapeรฑos , (optional, but recommend)
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 -1 teaspoon chili flakes
- parmesan rind, plus grated parmesan, for serving
- 1 head garlic, top portion trimmed off
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- pasta, plus fresh basil, for serving
Instructionsย
Crockpot
- 1. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over high heat, sear the ribs on both sides. Place the ribs in the slow cooker. 2. To the slow cooker, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes, wine, carrots, onion, pickled jalapeรฑos, Italian seasoning, and season generously with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Stir the sauce to combine. 3. Place the parmesan rind in the sauce. Add the garlic head. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 5-6 hours. During the last hour of cooking, remove the garlic. 4. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins. Add both the butter and cloves to a skillet set over medium heat. Mash the garlic into the butter, allowing the butter to brown and some of the garlic to get crispy. Remove from the heat.5. Remove the parmesan rind. Shred the ribs and add them to the sauce. Stir the garlic butter into the sauce. Serve over pasta. Top with parmesan and basil. Enjoy!
Oven
- 1. Preheat the oven to 325ยฐ F.2. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat a large oven-safe Dutch Oven over high heat, sear the ribs on both sides. 3. Reduce the heat to low. To the pot, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes, wine, carrots, onion, pickled jalapeรฑos, Italian seasoning, and season generously with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Stir the sauce to combine. Add the parmesan rind and garlic. Cover and roast in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the short ribs are tender and falling off the bone. During the last hour of cooking, remove the garlic. 4. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins. Add both the butter and cloves to a skillet set over medium heat. Mash the garlic into the butter, allowing the butter to brown and some of the garlic to get crispy. Remove from the heat. 5. Remove the parmesan rind. Shred the ribs and add them to the sauce. Stir the garlic butter into the sauce. Serve over pasta. Top with parmesan and basil. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This is my second time making this sauce. It is SOOOOOO DELICIOUS. The short ribs make it pretty pricey, but I have to say I think itโs worth it. I have small kids who donโt like a lot of spice, so I only use a few jalapeรฑos and a tiny pinch of chili flakes because- but other than that I make the recipe as written. I will absolutely make it again and again.
Hey Mary,
Fantastic! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Have the best week:) xxT
I just pulled up the other one a lot of you are asking aboutโฆ.the garlic is pretty much the only difference.
Very simple and delicious!
Hi Katie,
Happy Monday! I’m so glad you enjoyed this dish and appreciate you making it! Have a wonderful week! xxT
Hi!! My family and I LOVE your recipes! I havenโt made this one yet but itโs on my list for this week. What type of pasta is this in the recipe? I canโt wait to make this!
*we had the red wine braised pot roast this week itโs was delicious.
Thank you!!!
Thanks so much, Tara!! Here is the link for the noodles:
https://shopstyle.it/l/bMlQv
Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy holidays! xx
Can I get the original version of this recipe? Went to make it today and see that itโs changed. I donโt have time to do the roasted garlic head variation. Thanks!
Hi Mel,
So sorry, I no longer have access to the old version. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
Hi! Iโd been making this for years and had a printout that recently got ruined. Came to the bookmark I saved and did you update this recipe? I donโt remember the garlic head before?
Hi Monika,
Thanks for making this recipe so often! Nope, it has not been changed recently:) Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
I think this recipe has changed, in the original you had used sun dried tomatoes and papardelle pasta. It was a much richer flavorful recipe? Why did you change it?
Hi there,
This recipe has not changed:) Are you thinking of any of these:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/pot-roast-sunday-sauce/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/slow-cooker-red-wine-sunday-ragu-pasta/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/saucy-sunday-bolognese-pasta/
Let me know!
Can you use ground beef instead?
Hey Andrea,
Totally, ground beef would also work nicely here. I hope you love this recipe! xT
This is my go to company meal. With handmade pasta it is always a huge hit. I find there is always lots of fat in the sauce without the butter, and cooking the garlic in the sauce is messy, so I just roast the head of garlic in the oven and squeeze it into the sauce toward the end. Great recipe!
Hi Vera,
Love to hear this! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and your comment and sharing what works well for you! Happy Sunday! Xx
Why would you say great recipe and itโs a go to for you yet you rate it a 3/5?
Any recommendations on types of red wines? What type of pasta did you use? It’s such a fun shape! ๐
Can this be frozen?? Iโd love to make a big batch up and throw in the freezer too pull out when I want to use it.
Hi Katie! Yes, this should freeze just fine! ๐ xT
Dumb Question- is this a tweaked or revised version of the other Sunday sauce that you photographed with pappadelle pasta and 1/2 C red wine? The recipe didnโt have the bulb of garlic. Iโm just wondering if this one is an updated version? I canโt seem to find the other recipe so Iโm curious. Thank You!
Hi Christine! I saw your comment when I was having the same issue, I LOVE the original and it looks like itโs been removed. I found the old recipe wayyy back in my screenshots to make for NYE! If you let me know any way to get them to you Iโll send ๐ *I realize this looks weird but I have been searching for an hour and wanted to share lol
I actually have a print out of the old recipe. But I made it for Christmas and my mother in law (who lives in another state) loved it. I wanted to just text her the link to the recipe but I canโt find the original that I have printed. Iโll have to make several copies of it so I donโt ever risk losing it!!!!! Thank you so much for replying and offering to help me out! That is so sweet and thoughtful!!! Happy new year to you!
Hu Mrs Quinn I’m curious know for the old recipe. Can you somehow send it to me? I highly appreciate it. Thank you
You can shoot me an email: christyud23@yahoo.com and just let me know youโre looking for the original recipe and I can send it over. Luckily I printed it out. Haha
What are the ingredients in the original please? I know it had like 6 picked jalapenos and brown butter. Did it have the head of garlic? How much wine?
In her cookbook EVERY DAY
Iโm making one above with short ribs today!
Made this for family visiting, easy way to feed 10 people. Everyone loved it. Will make again it was delicious!
Hi! Thank you so so much for trying out the recipe! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas! xT
So far so good, but dumb question. I have this in the crockpot now. Is it 2 cans of 28 oz tomatoes or 1 can that equals 28 oz?
I used 2 cans, 28 oz each. It seemed like the right way to do it..