4 pounds of chuck roast go into the slow cooker to make a meal worth remembering

Tracy Teel

Contributing Writer

The simplest definition of this classic Italian dish translates to pasta with meat sauce ... but a rich, tender ragù is so much more than that. By using a relatively inexpensive cut of beef and your slow cooker, you can transform something ordinary into a spectacular meal ... with very little effort.

Traditionally, beef ragù is served with pasta, but you can also serve it over polenta. And since this recipe serves six, if your household is smaller, you can enjoy the leftovers in sandwiches the next day. So ... let's get cooking!

Cooktop Cove

Beef ragù

15 minutes

5 hours

5 hours 15 minutes

2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 2 inch cubes

3 carrots, peeled and cut into thirds

3 stalks celery, cut into thirds

1 onion, large diced

7 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 sprigs fresh sage

2 teaspoons salt

Pepper to taste

In a 6-quart slow cooker, add in beef, salt, pepper, and tomato paste. Mix well so that tomato paste is evenly distributed throughout the meat.

Add in remaining ingredients and mix well, making sure the rosemary and sage are not sticking out and are covered by the other ingredients.

Cook on high for 5 hours.

Remove rosemary and sage and discard, then break up the meat using two forks.

Serve over fresh pasta with or without vegetables.

What do you think? Make sure to share this one with your friends and family if it's got you smacking your lips!

Note: All slow cookers are a little bit different in temperature and calibration. This recipe was tested in Cooktop Cove's Test Kitchen using this slow cooker, which is available for purchase here.

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