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When it comes to Valentine’s Day at home, it really doesn’t get much better than a big bowl of pasta. This Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu Over Pappardelle is such a good special occasion meal and the best part is that you can prep it hours before dinner!
When I was trying to decide which Valentine’s dish to share with you this year, there were so many pasta recipes that came to mind. When I asked Clayton what came to mind when he thought of a home-cooked Valentine’s meal, his response was “uh…steak!” I decided to combine the two with a classic short rib ragu. This beauty of a dish tastes just as good as it looks!
Instead of spending all night in the kitchen for your special date night, wake up a little early and get this in the slow cooker. It saves so much time and stress in the kitchen so you an spend more time with your loved one. Enjoy your night with this romantic Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu over Pappardelle and splurge on some good wine! There are no gifts needed with a night like that in my opinion!
ingredients:
- Bone-In Short Ribs
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Pancetta
- Carrot
- Celery
- Yellow Onion
- Garlic Cloves
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Anchovy Paste
- All-Purpose Flour
- Red Wine
- Beef Broth
- Canned Whole Peeled Tomatoes
- Dried Thyme
- Dried Oregano
- Bay Leaf
- Fresh Parsley
- Fresh Basil
- Pappardelle
- Parmigiano-Reggiano
STEP-BY-STEP:
step one: season the short ribs
Season all sides of the short ribs generously with salt and pepper.
step two: sear the short ribs
Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. When hot, add the short ribs and sear until deeply golden brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per side, working in batches if necessary. Transfer the short ribs to a slow cooker.
step three: cook the pancetta
In the same pot, add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes until crispy.
step four: add the aromatics
Add the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the veggies are tender and the pancetta is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
step five: add the anchovy paste
Reduce the heat to low. Add the anchovy paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
step six: add the flour
Add the flour and stir to coat the veggies.
step seven: stir in the red wine and broth
Add the red wine and beef broth. Stir and scrape up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
step eight: add the tomatoes
Add the canned tomatoes and use the back of your spoon to try and break them up a bit.
step nine: stir in the herbs
Stir in the thyme, oregano, bay leaf, parsley, and basil. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if needed.
step ten: cook in the slow cooker
Pour the prepared sauce over the short ribs in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the short ribs are fork-tender.
step eleven: shred the meat
When ribs are fork tender, discard the bay leaf and transfer the short ribs to a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the meat and discard the bones or unwanted fat/tendons. Place the shredded meat back into the slow cooker and stir. Reduce the heat to warm.
step twelve: cook the pasta
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain.
step thirteen: serve and enjoy
Divide the pasta among four bowls and top with the short rib ragu. Depending on how meaty your short ribs are, your sauce may be too loose. If this is the case, use a slotted spoon to serve your sauce for best results! Enjoy!
recipe faqs:
The ragu keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Store it in an airtight container separately from the pasta. Alternatively, you can freeze it for up to 1 month! Be sure to let the sauce cool completely before transferring it to airtight containers to store.
This would be great with chuck roast too! Just be sure to cut it into large pieces.
You can use diced guanciale or thick-cut bacon instead.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day, or whatever “tines” you will be having this year! Celebrate love and don’t forget to love yourself. Without self-love you can’t fully love others, you can’t spread joy and happiness, and you can’t live your best life. So, make the world a better place and LOVE so hard this week!
looking for more valentine’s day recipes? try these!
Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Parsnip-Potato Mash
Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu over Pappardelle
Ingredients
- 2 pounds bone-in short ribs
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 pound pancetta, diced small
- 1/2 cup finely diced carrots (from about 1 large carrot)
- 1/2 cup finely diced celery (from about 1 celery stalk)
- 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onions (from about 1/2 small onion)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 28 ounces canned whole peeled tomatoes, such as San Marzano tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 12 ounces pappardelle or tagliatelle
For Serving:
- freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Season all sides of the short ribs generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. When hot, add the short ribs and sear until deeply golden brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per side, working in batches if necessary. Transfer the short ribs to a slow cooker.
- In the same pot, add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes until crispy.
- Add the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the veggies are tender and the pancetta is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the anchovy paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Add the flour and stir to coat the veggies.
- Add the red wine and beef broth. Stir and scrape up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the canned tomatoes and use the back of your spoon to try and break them up a bit.
- Stir in the thyme, oregano, bay leaf, parsley, and basil. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if needed.
- Pour the prepared sauce over the short ribs in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the short ribs are fork-tender.
- When ribs are fork tender, discard the bay leaf and transfer the short ribs to a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the meat and discard the bones or unwanted fat/tendons. Place the shredded meat back into the slow cooker and stir. Reduce the heat to warm.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain.
- Divide the pasta among four bowls and top with the short rib ragu. Depending on how meaty your short ribs are, your sauce may be too loose. If this is the case, use a slotted spoon to serve your sauce for best results! Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Eat Love Eats.
Delicious!! Adults and kiddos loved it!
Ok to use arrowroot flour?
yes that should be fine!
Hi Alex! I don’t have a crock pot can I do the same thing with an instapot?
yes!! I am not positive on cooking time but i would go with 45 mins manual high pressure.
Alex, I doubled the recipe and the crock pot is to the brim. Should I increase the temperature on the crock pot to 6 hour temperature? thanks
i worry it might spill over the sides if you get the temp up too high! but yes– you’ll likely need a little longer cooking time.
Will leaving out the anchovy paste make a huge difference in overall turn out of the dish?
I was wondering the same thing, did you try?
We made it without the anchovy paste and it was still really good!
This was so easy and SO TASTY. I modified it to make in my instant pot and it was amazing.
Short rib ragu is my boyfriend’s absolute favorite. I want to make this for his birthday this week, but we only have an instant pot. Do you have any suggestions on converting this recipe from crockpot? Thank you so much for sharing!
Yes, I’m also wondering the same! How to make this in the instant pot…
There is a slow cooker option on most instapots.
I made this for a something different Christmas Dinner!!! It was AWESOME!!! The comment was”restaurant worthy” !! Thanks for helping make my holiday a success!
Really great! I used three different cuts I found on sale (Ossobuco, neck bones, and short ribs), doubled the veggies (I’m weird, it’s a thing I do), and added a couple tablespoons of sherry vinegar with the added liquids. I omitted the flour but blended the sauce at the end and still got a nice rich sauce! It was so good! Can’t wait to eat our leftovers for breakfast 😀 And super excited to cook potatoes in the fat we skimmed!
Wow!! Sounds so fantastic! Glad you enjoyed it.
Made this last week. It was delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
🙂 YAY! You’re welcome!