Slow Cooker Ragu Sauce (Printable)
Hearty Italian meat sauce simmered slowly for rich, robust flavors and perfect pasta topping.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1.1 lbs ground beef (80/20 blend recommended)
02 - 9 oz Italian sausage, casings removed
→ Aromatics & Vegetables
03 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
→ Liquids
07 - 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
08 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
09 - ½ cup dry red wine
10 - ½ cup beef or chicken broth
11 - 2 tbsp olive oil
→ Herbs & Seasonings
12 - 2 tsp dried oregano
13 - 1 tsp dried basil
14 - ½ tsp dried thyme
15 - 1 bay leaf
16 - 1 tsp salt
17 - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
18 - 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
→ Finishing
19 - ¼ cup whole milk or heavy cream
20 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)
21 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)
# Directions:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and Italian sausage, breaking up the meat with a spoon. Cook until browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
02 - Add onion, carrots, and celery to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for an additional minute.
03 - Transfer the meat and vegetable mixture to the slow cooker. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, dry red wine, broth, oregano, basil, thyme, bay leaf, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir well to combine.
04 - Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours, stirring once or twice during cooking if possible.
05 - Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the milk or cream, then adjust seasoning to taste.
06 - Ladle hot sauce over cooked pasta. Garnish with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The slow cooker does the real work while you live your day, yet somehow you end up with sauce that tastes like it simmered for three days.
- It's deeply satisfying in a way that quick weeknight meals rarely are, filling your home with warmth and that irresistible Italian kitchen feeling.
- Freezes beautifully, so one afternoon of minimal effort feeds you for months.
02 -
- Don't skip the browning step; it's the difference between sauce that tastes like tomato soup and one that tastes like you've been nursing it all day.
- Remove the bay leaf before serving unless you want someone to bite into it and wonder what went wrong.
- Taste near the end and be willing to adjust; every slow cooker runs slightly different in temperature, so trust your palate more than the recipe.
03 -
- If your sauce tastes too acidic at the end, a pinch of sugar helps, but a splash of cream does the job more elegantly.
- Leftover sauce is incredible on eggs, stirred into a risotto, or spooned over polenta—it's not just pasta sauce, it's liquid gold.