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This Slow Cooker Red Wine Braised Short Rib Pasta is best for cold winter nights. Slow-cooked short ribs or chicken braised in a rich, garlicky, red wine/tomato/bacon sauce. The beef is then shredded and tossed with your favorite cut of pasta. If there’s one cozy winter meal you need to be making, it’s this simple short rib pasta. It’s the simplest dinner to put together, but feels fancy, festive, and most importantly? It’s truly delicious. Serve this Sunday style pasta topped with plenty of parmesan cheese and a side of crusty bread. You’ll have the perfect dinner for a cold night-in with family. You can make this pasta easily in the slow cooker, instant pot, or on the stove-top. Do what works best for you!

overhead photo of Slow Cooker Red Wine Braised Short Rib Pasta

You guys, I truly love the month of December, but especially this year. It’s so refreshing to feel all the excitement in the air. I’ve never put a ton of pressure on myself to make everything perfect for the holidays, though I try! Instead I just attempt to have a lot of fun creating and sharing the things I love most.

And for me, that also means really good family meals. With my family all very slowly beginning to arrive for Christmas over the next couple of weeks, I’m excited to spend some time with them. I want to take a minute to soak everything in and be thankful for all this year has had to offer. It’s been a crazy year, a scary year, and also an exciting year, all at the same time. But this year more than ever I’m so thankful to be doing what I love each and every day.

It has been go, go, go for months now, so I haven’t really had the chance to chill, and probably won’t anytime soon. But the point in all of this rambling? With my family arriving soon, and things as hectic as they are, I’m currently on the lookout for the easiest recipes. Recipes that I can throw together in the morning and simply serve up that night.

And even more importantly? These are simple recipes that I know everyone will really love and enjoy. Enter this slow cooker pasta.

ribs in slow cooker before shredding

The Inspiration.

If any of you own the Half Baked Harvest Super Simple cookbook, you may recall a recipe for Caroline’s Family’s pasta. Caroline is my cousin’s longtime girlfriend and soon to be wife. This recipe has been in their family for quite some time. It’s a very simple chicken and tomato-based pasta, but it’s a recipe that everyone loves.

I was thinking about their family recipe the other week. I then had the idea to create the sauce in the slow cooker. And instead of using chicken, to use heartier short ribs. Since the sauce already has red wine, the short ribs sounded like they could be a delicious pairing.

I don’t make short ribs all too often, but whenever I do it seems to be around the holidays. Something about short ribs over pasta just feels extra special, even fancy, but yet they are so simple! I slow-cooked these all day and a few hours into cooking, I knew this was going to be good.

The smells coming from the slow cooker were those perfect cozy smells you want on cold December days.

pasta after boiling

This Slow Cooker Pasta is Simple

This recipe starts with a little bacon, which I think is key to Caroline’s family’s sauce. The bacon adds a rich layer of flavor that really hooks everyone in right away.

Once the bacon has been crisped, sear the short ribs or you can use chicken too! Trust me, I know how much of a turn off this is in any slow cooker recipe. But searing the ribs or chicken will give you an even more tender, flavorful short rib every time. I know you might not want to dirty the pan or deal with grease splatter, but if you want your short ribs to be great, give them a nice sear before slowly braising them all day.

Once the bacon has been crisped and the short ribs seared, you pretty much just throw all remaining ingredients into the slow cooker and cook all day long. Low and slow is key with short ribs, so I recommend cooking the full six hours on low. Of course, if you’re short on time, you can also cook this using the instant pot. And if you don’t have a slow cooker or an instant pot? The stovetop is a great option too!

overhead close up photo of Slow Cooker Red Wine Braised Short Rib Pasta

The major flavor for this pasta come from dry red wine, tomato paste, garlic, and allspice.

One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to slow braise short ribs  or chicken in red wine. Normally I make this recipe with cranberries, but I LOVE this more Italian-style short rib.chicken pasta too. The tomato paste paired with the warming allspice is really key and infuses the sauce with flavor. It feels very fancy when tossed with pasta. It’s really one of the best, coziest meals I serve up during the winter.

As the sauce slowly cooks, the kitchen is filled with warming hearty scents leaving you very excited for dinner. Every bowl of pasta is just oh so slightly spicy, creamy, and has just the right amount of garlic and cheese.

It’s that so very good…stick to your bones, enjoy a second helping, kind of delicious.

overhead photo of Slow Cooker Red Wine Braised Short Rib Pasta

To sum it up

Our temperatures have been dropping so low at night, so this was perfect. If you need something warm and hearty to serve on these days leading up to Christmas, I highly recommend these short ribs.

Or? Make this pasta a part of your Christmas Eve or Christmas night dinner menu. It’s fancy enough for both, but yet so easy!

You can even prepare the sauce way ahead of time, then just add the pasta before you’re ready to serve. Try serving alongside my Pull-Apart Garlic Butter Bread Wreath or Salted Butter Parker House Rolls. Add a simple Winter Pomegranate Salad into the mix and you’ll have the perfect holiday meal. It’s one of those pasta dishes that’s easily loved by all.

overhead photo of Slow Cooker Red Wine Braised Short Rib Pasta

Looking for other good wintery dinners? Here are my favorites: 

Spicy Pesto Pasta Alla Vodka

Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Mushrooms and White Wine Cream Sauce

Roasted Garlic Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats

Lastly, if you make this Slow Cooker Red Wine Braised Short Rib 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 Braised Short Rib Pasta

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 788 kcal

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

Ingredients

Instructions

Slow Cooker

  • 1. In the bowl of your slow cooker, combine the wine, 2 cups water, the tomato paste, onion, garlic, allspice, and bay leaves. Season heavily with salt and pepper.
    2. Season the short ribs or chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from the skillet, drain excess grease. Add the bacon to the slow cooker. Going back to the same skillet, sear the ribs on both sides over medium-high heat. Transfer the ribs to the slow cooker. Gently toss everything to combine. Add the parmesan rind. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.
    3. Just before serving, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain
    4. Remove the bay leaves and parmesan rind. Shred the meat, discard the bones, and toss the meat with the sauce. If needed, thin the sauce with pasta cooking water. Serve the sauce over pasta. Top with lots of parmesan and fresh basil. Enjoy!

Instant Pot

  • 1. In the bowl of your Instant Pot, combine the wine, 2 cups water, the tomato paste, onion, garlic, allspice, and bay leaves. Season heavily with salt and pepper.
    2. Season the short ribs or chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from the skillet, drain excess grease. Add the bacon to the Instant Pot. Going back to the same skillet, sear the ribs on both sides over medium-high heat. Transfer the ribs to the Instant Pot. Gently toss everything to combine. Add the parmesan rind. Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes.
    3. Once done cooking, use the natural or quick release function. Finish as directed above from step 3 on.

Stove-Top

  • 1. Season the short ribs or chicken with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon until crisp. Push the bacon to the side, add the ribs sear on both sides over medium-high heat. Drain off excess grease.
    2. Add the in the wine, 2 cups water, the tomato paste, onion, garlic, allspice, and bay leaves. Season heavily with salt and pepper. Gently toss everything to combine. Add the parmesan rind. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours, stirring every hour until the meat is tender and falling off the bone. If needed, add water throughout cooking to keep the ribs mostly covered.
    3. Finish as directed above from step 3 on.
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Comments

  1. 4 stars
    Made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit. I have never cooked a bad recipe from Tieghan.

    I tweaked it a little.. after browning the short ribs and sautéed the onion and garlic then added the wine, water, tomato paste and I added a spoon of the beef better than bouillon. Added that back to the crock pot and cooked it on low for a little over six hours. I trimmed the short ribs so we didn’t have a lot of grease.

    Delicious recipe.

    1. Hey Samantha,
      Happy Monday!! 🍁 Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for making it! xT

  2. Super excited to try this! Is the two cups of water in addition to the 2 cups of wine? I’m not seeing the water in the ingredient list. Thank you!

    1. Hi Nicole,
      Yes, that is correct:) I hope this dish turns out tasty, please let me know if you have any other questions! xT

  3. 5 stars
    Outstanding! I could have made it with any of the three cooking methods, but opted for the stove top with my old faithful Le Crueset dutch oven. The sauce thickened up on it’s own with no issues and my house smelled amazing! I think I’ll freeze half and save for a chilly night!

  4. 4 stars
    I tried this recipe a couple of times and had same issues as some of the other people who commented- having around 4 cups of grease that I had to discard. It made the house smell nice and tasted good but I would definitely use maybe half the amount of liquid that was suggested. Also how did you make the sauce thicker? Did you add cornstarch?

    1. Hey Cyprian,
      Thanks so much for making this recipe, sorry about the grease! To thicken the sauce, you can remove the lid and let it simmer down on high or a cornstarch slurry will also work! xx

  5. 5 stars
    Im making this recipe for the second time. It freezers well and my family loves it. I do add some of the grease from the seared short ribs and de-glaze the pan with some water to grab up all those extra flavors before adding it to my slow cooker. I do serve this dish over rice. I cant wait for dinner tonight!!

    1. Hi Bailey,
      Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was tasty, thanks so much for making it sharing your review:) xTieghan

  6. Hey I’m wanting to cook this but my kid is allergic to dairy. Can I leave out the Parmesan rind? Or is there something I can sub it for? Thanks in advance!

    1. Hey Jacie,
      Yes, totally okay to skip the parmesan rind:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx

  7. So excited to try this on Friday when my partner gets back from work! I’m in the U.K and I don’t think it’s very easy to find short ribs. If I can’t find any, what other type of beef would work well please? Thank you, can’t wait to make it ?

    1. Hey Sam,
      Any other cut of beef would be great, a beef chuck would be perfect! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx

    1. Hey Alex,
      Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I am so glad it was a winner:) Have the best week! xx

  8. Tried this with beef chuck instead because my store was out of short ribs. It still came out delicious!

    1. Hey Andrea,
      Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback! I love to hear that it was a hit! xTieghan

  9. 3 stars
    I had about 4 cups of grease that I had to remove. Why wasn’t that mention? It was good but not fantastic.

    1. Hi Jean,
      So sorry to hear this. You may have had extra fatty short ribs which caused all of the grease. xTieghan

    2. 4 stars
      Really enjoyed this recipe, but I agree. Bought standard bone-in short ribs from Publix and there was A TON of grease on top that I had to skim off. Kind of gross.

      1. Hi Jake,
        Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Sorry to hear about the grease. Have a great weekend:)

    1. Hi Courtney,
      The bacon is added to the slow cooker in step 2. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx

  10. 5 stars
    I used steak tips instead of short ribs but it still came out great. The flavor of this was so amazing. Served with honey butter parker house rolls. Thank you!