Slow Cooker Ragu Sauce (Print View)

Slow-simmered Italian meat sauce with pancetta, herbs, and red wine for rich flavor and tender texture.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1.1 lb ground beef (or a mix of beef and pork)
02 - 3.5 oz pancetta or smoked bacon, finely diced

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

03 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 carrots, peeled and diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 4 garlic cloves, minced

→ Liquids

07 - 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
08 - 3 tbsp tomato paste
09 - ½ cup dry red wine
10 - ½ cup beef or chicken broth

→ Seasonings

11 - 2 tsp dried oregano
12 - 1 tsp dried basil
13 - 1 bay leaf
14 - ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Finishing

16 - 2 tbsp olive oil
17 - Fresh parsley or basil, chopped, for serving

# How to Make:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta, onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add ground beef (and pork if using), breaking it apart with a spoon. Cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
04 - Move the cooked mixture into the slow cooker.
05 - Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, broth, oregano, basil, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Stir thoroughly to combine.
06 - Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours until sauce thickens and flavors meld.
07 - Remove bay leaf and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
08 - Serve sauce hot over pasta, garnished with chopped fresh parsley or basil.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It requires almost no active cooking time—just 20 minutes of prep, then the slow cooker takes over while you live your day.
  • The flavors develop in a way stovetop sauces never quite achieve, becoming deeper and more complex as the hours pass.
  • One batch feeds a crowd or fills your freezer with future weeknight dinners.
02 -
  • Don't skip browning the meat and aromatics on the stove first—that caramelization is where the real depth comes from.
  • Resist the urge to check on it constantly; every time you lift the lid, you add 15 minutes to the cooking time.
03 -
  • Use a slow cooker that fits on a warming setting, so you can keep the sauce warm without drying it out if dinner runs late.
  • If your sauce seems thin at the end, remove the lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking to let some liquid evaporate and the sauce concentrate.

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