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Step up your pasta sauce with this Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu recipe. The pasta sauce is simmered together with short ribs and served with gnocchi.
Gnocchi is a fun pasta to add to the slow cooker, also try my Chicken Gnocchi Soup.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Short Rib Ragu Recipe
This Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu is inspired by a recipe I had a while back in an Italian restaurant in Portland. They served a rich short rib ragu over little gnocchi. Before I had that meal, the only time I’ve had gnocchi was in the olive garden soup. The short ribs give the sauce so much rich and beefy flavor and the wine makes it even better.
Traditional Italian recipes like this can be a special occasion meal and can definitely be seen as an ultimate comfort food meal.
Recipe Ingredients
- Beef Short Ribs: I use bone in for this recipe.
- Spaghetti Sauce: I like to use Rao’s tomato basil sauce.
- Cooking Oil: For browning the ribs prior to putting them in the slow cooker.
- Onion: White onion, diced.
- Seasonings: minced garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper.
- Red Wine: I like to use a red blend.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – Set a large skillet on the stove top and set to medium high heat. Add the cooking oil when the pan is hot. Brown the short ribs on all sides, no need to cook through.
Step Two – Add the browned short ribs to the slow cooker. Pour over the spaghetti sauce, add the onion, garlic, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and wine. Stir
Step Three – Cover and cook in the crock pot on LOW for 6-8 hours or until the beef short rib is fall apart tender.
Step Four – When the cooking time is done remove the short ribs, remove the meat from the bones. Discard the excess fat and bones. Before adding the meat back to the sauce. I like to degrease the sauce by laying paper towels over the grease and lifting quickly. Discard paper towels. Add the meat to the sauce and stir. Enjoy!
How to Serve
- To serve this, I boiled a box of gnocchi on the stove top and then stirred them into the meat sauce. These stood up to the sauce very well and didn’t get soggy. I highly recommend trying it, you can find the gnocchi above the dried pasta in the store.
- You can serve this over regular al dente pasta or over any noodle as well if you would like.
- Top with parmesan cheese and add a side salad for a full meal! Fresh herbs like fresh thyme and fresh parsley also taste great on top.
- If you don’t want to use pasta you can serve this over white rice or mashed potatoes- try my slow cooker mashed potatoes recipe.
Recipe FAQs
I found the gnocchi on the top shelf above the dried pasta in the grocery store.
Store any remaining short ribs in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I’ve seen people use beef chuck riblets and boneless beef short ribs. You may need to adjust cooking time when using something other than what the recipe calls for.
You can play around with using different types of tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, beef broth, or even different meats like beef chuck roast.
Try one of these pasta recipes next time:
- Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Penne
- Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce
- Slow Cooker Chicken Bacon Pasta
- Slow Cooker Easy Spaghetti Dinner
- Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce
- Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Spaghetti
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Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
- 2 lbs. beef short ribs, (bone-in)
- 24 oz. jar spaghetti sauce, (I use Rao’s tomato basil sauce)
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 Tbsp. garlic,, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 cup red wine, (I like to use a red blend)
Instructions
- Set a large skillet on the stove top and set to medium high heat. Add the cooking oil when the pan is hot. Brown the short ribs on all sides, no need to cook through.
- Add the browned short ribs to the slow cooker.
- Pour over the spaghetti sauce, add the onion, garlic, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and wine. Stir
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours on low.
- When the cooking time is done remove the short ribs, remove the meat from the bones. Discard the fatty pieces and bones. Before adding the meat back to the sauce. I like to degrease the sauce by laying paper towels over the grease and lifting quickly. Discard paper towels. Add the meat into the sauce and stir.
- For serving I boiled a 16 oz. box of Gnocchi (dumplings) and then stirred them into the sauce. These stood up to the sauce very well and didn’t get soggy. We didn’t eat for over an hour after I added them to the sauce. I found the gnocchi on the top shelf above the dried pasta in the store. You can serve this sauce over any noodle as well. Top with parmesan cheese and enjoy!
How to Video
Sarah’s Notes
- I find the gnocchi on the top shelf above the dried pasta in the grocery store.
- Store any remaining short ribs in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- You can play around with using different types of tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, beef broth, or even different meats like beef chuck roast.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Is there a way to do this on stove top?
You could try simmering on low. You may need to add touch of water.
You had me at Rao’s!!
what do you mean by cooking oil? which kind, canola , olive oil?
A high heat cooking oil (canola or vegetable). What you normally would brown meat in 🙂
Is there a substitute for the red wine? Love the rich flavor it adds, but we don’t drink. Thanks!
Can you use something else instead of red wine
You can use beer or beef broth.
Can you cook this on high to
??
Yes, 4-5 hours on high will work fine.
if i want to double the meat – how long should i leave it on for high and low?.
I would do 8-9 hours on low.
Will it be possible to substitute the short ribs with beef back ribs? My store is out of the short ribs. If so, do I have to adjust the weight of the ribs and the cooking time? I’ve got 4 lbs of the beef back ribs. Thinking about doubling the recipe for that amount of beef back ribs.
PS: I’ve tried so many of your recipes, and they all always came out so good! Thank you!
I think they will work fine! If you are doubling you may want to add an hour to the cook time.
The recipe turned out awesome! Everyone loved it! Thanks! 🙂
Would boneless country style ribs work with this?
If so, would you adjust the cooking time at all?
I think those would work fine, I think 7 hours on low would be plenty.
Will it be okay, I only have white wine, so I used it since I had to use my short ribs. Thank you.
I think it will be fine!
We are on our 5th pot of this in a couple months – sooooooooo good!!!!! But no gnocci… 🙂
Making this a second time. Its delish!!! Minus the gnocci. We did spaghetti. This time thinking over mashed potatoes:)
Oh! mashed potatoes sound amazing.
Made your slow cooker short rib ragu , such great flavor and excellent with the gnocchi. Thank you
So happy to hear Pat, I’ve been requested to make it again this week.