Ragu is a sauce typically made with ground meat, onions, tomato puree, and red wine, and served with pasta. This easy slow cooker ragu is a nourishing variation, made without the wine. It simmers in the crockpot for several hours, allowing the flavors and richness to develop.
This slow cooker ragu recipe with photo was shared with us by Cans Get You Cooking.
This recipe makes a great allergy-friendly meal that the whole family can enjoy. But if you don’t have the day to let it cook, it can be made more quickly on the stove top. Let it simmer covered over low heat for 1 to 2 hours. Add the cooked vegetables during the last 20 minutes of cooking. The flavors won’t be quite as rich, but pretty close.
Special Diet Notes: Slow Cooker Ragu
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, optionally gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, and generally top food allergy-friendly. Just use caution in the ingredients you select, such as the broth, to ensure they meet your dietary needs.
For paleo slow cooker ragu, choose a bone beef broth or other paleo-approved broth or stock and swap cooked spaghetti squash (our preference!) or zucchini noodles for the pasta.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ cup low-sodium beef broth
- 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound ground beef sirloin
- 1 14.5-ounce can sliced carrots, drained
- 1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained (can sub fresh)
- 1 lb dry spaghetti (gluten-free, if needed)
- Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and saute for 1 minute, just to soften. Add the garlic and season lightly with salt and pepper, cooking for about 3 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and thyme and cook for another 2 minutes. Slowly stir in the beef broth to deglaze bottom of pan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Carefully transfer the mixture to your slow cooker and stir in the canned tomatoes.
- Mix the pork and sirloin together in a separate bowl, until combined. Stir the meat into the slow cooker, spreading out evenly and avoiding any large clumps. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours.
- During last two hours of cooking, add the canned carrots and mushrooms to the slow cooker.
- When the ragu is ready, cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- Skim any accumulated grease from the top of the ragu before serving atop the pasta.
