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Our go-to Crockpot Sunday Sauce. Slow simmered Italian-style tomato sauce cooked with short ribs. If there’s one cozy fall and winter meal you need to be making, it’s this Sunday sauce. It’s 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 that’s lovely on a Sunday, but equally great any night you decide to serve.
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It’s Monday, but we’re 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, I’m 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, it’s 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.
It’s 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 that’s oven safe. When the ribs are browned, pull them out and add them to the bowl of your crockpot/slow cooker (whatever you’d prefer to call it).
At this point, everything else goes in. The tomatoes, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes, red wine, carrots, onions, jalapeños, 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 that’s 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 you’re 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:
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, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crockpot Sunday Sauce
Ingredients
- 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 jalapeños , (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
Instructions
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 jalapeños, 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 325° 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 jalapeños, 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.
I don’t like cooking with alcohol, what can I substitute for the red wine?
Hi Olivia,
Broth will also work well for you in place of the wine:) I hope this recipe turns out well, let me know if you give it a try! xT
I plan to leave out the pickled jalapenos as my kids don’t care for spicy food, but I look forward to making this soon!
fyi-Pickled jalapeños are not spicy
Thanks so much Molly! I hope you love the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xT
Are the pickled jalapenos necessary? Not really a fan of spicy food. Can they be left out?
I’m planning to leave them out myself. My kids don’t like spicy food.
Hi Kelly,
The pickled jalapeños are optional so you can skip them!! I hope this recipe turns out tasty for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
What do you do with the butter and garlic?
I’m wondering that also.
I see a few others are wondering same thing.
After setting aside?
Hi Toni,
The garlic butter is added to the sauce in step 5:) Sorry for any confusion!!
Hi Jo,
You are going to stir that into the sauce in step 5. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Looks awesome for a family night in! If I double the recipe, will it be the same cooking time? Thanks so much! Your recipes never disappoint! ❤️
Hi Cheryl,
Thanks so much!! If you are going the slow cooker I would do at least 8 hours on low and for the oven I would do at least 4 hours. Please ensure that you have large enough pots to handle all of the measurements for doubling! xx
Could Calabrian chilies be used instead of pickled jalapeños? What amount?
Hi Karen,
I would stick with the pickled jalapeños or just skip them since they are optional:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! I hope you love the recipe! xx
This looks amazing. Could you please tell us what the measurement is for the jalapeños.
Looks like it’s 1/3 of the jar she has linked! (My best guess)
Thanks Ang!! It’s 1/3 cup, sorry about that!!
Thanks Kim! You will want to use 1/3 cup of pickled jalapeños. I hope you love the recipe! xT
Sounds great but you need to add a step to put the garlicky butter back into the sauce. Thanks
Instructions are in the story – you add it back to the sauce.
But we shouldn’t have to read “the story”. Instructions on how to make the dish should be under instructions, especially if people print off recipes. I have printed off a few of her recipes and they are always missing steps or ingredients. It’s just sloppy. I wish she would do less recipes per week but spend more time making sure it’s right.
I also agree 100 % with Jill’s comment. Do we need a recipe every day that isn’t accurate? I usually wait a few day’s to make her recipes. By then she’ll fix it because of the comments. On a positive side, her dishes are full of flavor and easy.
Yes, in the past, I have made a comment that she needs to proof read her recipes before posting them….she did reply that she & her Mom usually does, but times they do miss things.
Thanks Erica!! You are going to add the garlic butter to the sauce in step 5. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
What do you do with the butter and garlic ? Add to the pot or is it for garlic bread?
Hi there,
You are going to stir the garlic butter into the sauce in step 5. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you! xx
Sounds really good but…
1/3 jalapeños? Cup? Jar?
Thanks
Hi Mary,
Happy Monday! You will want to use 1/3 cup of pickled jalapeños. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hi. Do you add the butter and garlic back into the sauce or use it for garlic bread? I can’t wait to make this!!
Hi Kristen,
Thanks so much!! The garlic butter gets stirred into the sauce in step 5. I hope this recipe turns out tasty for you, let me know if you give it a try! xx
Measurement for jalapeños please.
Hi Jean,
You will want to use 1/3 cup of pickled jalapeños. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
What is the unit of measure for the Pickled Jalapeños? The recipe as written states 1/3 Pickled Jalapeños
Hi Michael,
For this recipe, you will want to use 1/3 cup of pickled jalapeños. I hope this recipe turns out tasty for you! xT
I can’t wait to make this, what kinda pasta did you use?
Hi Ashley,
I used pappardelle pasta! I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I was curious too, it’s not pappardelle but the picture shows mafaldine pasta
Here’s the link! https://shopstyle.it/l/bMlQv
This sounds delicious! If i only have boneless short ribs, should I adjust the cooking time and if so, by how much?
Hey Tanisha,
I would keep the same cook time:) I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan