Drizzle italian dressing over beef, along with 3 ingredients, into slow cooker for a filling dinner that I plan meals around

This slow cooker 5-ingredient Amish-style Italian Dressing Beef Pasta is one of those set-it-and-forget-it dinners I plan my week around. The whole idea is wonderfully simple: you drizzle bottled Italian dressing right over a raw beef brisket in your slow cooker, add just three more pantry staples, and let it do its thing all day. The result is tender, shred-apart beef with a tangy, savory sauce that clings to pasta and feels like pure comfort food on a busy Midwestern weeknight.

I like to pile this shredded Italian beef over hot pasta and spoon extra sauce over the top, then finish with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan or Romano cheese. A simple green salad with more Italian dressing ties everything together, and garlic bread or buttered rolls are great for soaking up the juices. If you’re feeding a crowd, set the slow cooker on warm and let everyone scoop beef and sauce over their own pasta, with a bowl of shredded cheese and some steamed veggies on the side.

Servings: 6

2 to 2.5 pounds beef brisket, trimmed of excess hard fat

Place the sliced onion in an even layer on the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker to create a bed for the meat.

Lay the beef brisket on top of the onions, fat side up if there is a fat cap, so the fat can baste the meat as it cooks.

Pour the entire can of diced tomatoes (with their juices) evenly over the brisket.

Slowly drizzle the Italian dressing all over the surface of the raw brisket, making sure the top is well coated and some dressing runs down the sides into the onions and tomatoes. This is the main seasoning and cooking liquid, so don’t skimp.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the brisket is very tender and easily shreds with a fork.

About 20 minutes before you’re ready to eat, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain well.

While the pasta cooks, transfer the cooked brisket to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the meat into bite-size pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat.

Return the shredded beef to the slow cooker and stir it into the tomato-onion-Italian dressing mixture so everything is coated in the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with a little salt and pepper if needed.

Serve the shredded Italian beef and its sauce over bowls of hot pasta. Spoon extra juices over the top and garnish with grated cheese if you like.

You can swap the brisket for a similar weight of chuck roast or round roast if that’s what you have on hand; just keep the same slow cooker times and cook until the meat easily shreds. For extra richness, stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of tomato paste with the diced tomatoes. If you prefer a creamier sauce, add 2 to 4 ounces of softened cream cheese or a splash of heavy cream to the slow cooker after shredding the beef and let it melt in on LOW for 10 to 15 minutes. To sneak in more veggies, add sliced bell peppers or mushrooms on top of the onions before adding the brisket. For a lower-carb option, skip the pasta and serve the Italian beef over zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, or mashed cauliflower. Food safety tips: Always start with a fully thawed piece of beef so it reaches a safe internal temperature evenly in the slow cooker. Keep the lid on during cooking as much as possible to maintain heat. The beef should reach at least 145°F, though for shreddable texture it will go much higher; use a clean fork and thermometer if checking. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers and use within 3 to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat thoroughly until steaming hot before serving.