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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
I just taste tested when I took the ribs out to shred them and it’s really acidic. Any tips?
Hey Ellen,
So sorry about this! Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
I love this recipe. I’ve made it many times and always gets rave reviews. Sometimes I adapt it… for a cheaper option, using chuck roast instead of short ribs works really well. Don’t skip the Parmesan rind! It adds so much flavor.
Hey Sheena,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Thanks! xTieghan
Not going to make this one again. For all the $$ and work, I was hoping it would be better. I had all of the problems mentioned in the comments: it was almost overflowing from my slow cooker, and even after 7 hours, half of the beef was still tough and it was extremely watery and greasy. I also tasted a distinct sour note, so ended up putting in a tbsp of sugar. My husband liked it, but I definitely wouldn’t buy $25 of meat to make this again.
Hey Rebecca,
So sorry you did not enjoy the recipe, let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
This recipe is absolutely amazing! I halved the recipe since it’s just two of us and needed to cook for 65 min total in the instant pot.
Hey Jessica,
I am so thrilled that you have enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for making it:) xTieghan
This is a family favorite…the flavor is unbelievable! Once again, your recipe does not fail to delight!
Hey Jennifer,
Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, I am thrilled that you liked it! I hope you have a great week:) xTieghan
Incredible! We made this for my dad’s birthday dinner and everyone raved about it!
Hey Kelly,
I am so glad that the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Have been cooking this in the slow cooker for 7 hours on low already and the meat is still not even close to shredding. Maybe I’ll try this is the oven next time instead.
Hey Hilary,
So sorry you are having issues with the recipe. What kind of meat did you use? Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? Please let me know how I can help! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
The best meal I’ve made all year! Will likely be a new Christmas Day tradition- it was SO easy and awesome to make mid day and walk away! I did the stove top version and halfed it since it was only two of us this year. No issues with there being too much sauce but it did take about 4 hours in oven for my ribs to be fall apart. Used Pappardelle from Whole Foods and it was the perfect combination. Added freshly basil and the burrata and seriously it’s impressive and SO darn good! Thank you!!
Hey Kendra,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Both this and the red wine braised short rib pasta look great, but very similar? What is the main difference? Can’t decide which one to make for Christmas Eve. Thanks!
Hey Molly,
While they are a little similar, they have significantly different flavors, the red wine braised short rib pasta have all spice as the main seasoning. I hope this helps! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hello! I’m hoping to make this for Christmas dinner, but my Instacart shopper got boneless short ribs because they are all out of the other. Is it possible to make this with boneless short ribs? Would the timing need to be shorter?
Hey there,
Boneless short ribs will work just fine, you can follow the recipe as is. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Loved the recipe, but had a little trouble with the consistency. My sauce was very liquidy and not as rich as I expected. Any advice?
Hey Eliza,
Sos sorry you had issues with the sauce. Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? This would help me to better answer your question. Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
This was delicious, especially the day after. I used the Instant Pot and found that I needed to cook at high pressure for closer to an hour to get the ribs fork tender. I also cooked down the sauce considerably as I found it a bit watery to begin with. After those adjustments it was fantastic! Could easily have been cut in half – made as is I have enough for at least 8-10 servings (even after cooking it down further). Will definitely make again
I am really glad this recipe turned out well for you, Meridith! Thank you so much! xTieghan
I’ve made a couple of your recipes now and am very impressed. This was outstanding. I did it in the crockpot and followed the recipe exactly. I had 14 for dinner at there was plenty!
Thank you so much Nicki! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This is another winner of a dinner. I was worried that the wine wouldn’t cook off because I could smell the “raw” scent longer than I expected but I was wrong, it was just perfect! This served 4 of us a VERY hearty meal and I froze the same amount for another time.
This meal with, some Italian Peasant Bread and a glass of wine …. perfect pairings.
Thank you
Thank you Darcy! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
An absurd amount of liquid. I cooked this exactly to the recipe and it was so watery it wasn’t even good. Cut the liquid in half.
Hi Sarah1 I am really sorry about that! I hope this recipe turns out better for you the next time with less liquid! xTieghan