Slow Cooker Short Rib Sauce with Bucatini.
Something totally crazy is happening.
I’ve been CRAVING tomato sauce.
This is huge in my world.
If you’ve been reading for any length of time, you’ll know that I just… don’t… love… tomato sauce. In any capacity, really. The smaller the amount on my pizza, the better.
I very very rarely eat any sort of pasta with red sauce. I’m just not into it.
BUT. These days something wacky is going on. I actually find myself wanting it for dinner. Often.
Also, look at that hug on a plate up there. GAH. It’s like a big, fat pile of comfort food and I’m into it. Really in to it.
But I also just made cookies and am really into those so take my words with a grain of salt.
It’s kinda nuts because I remember being eight or nine years old and complaining to my grandma that I didn’t like pasta, but how I wished that I did. And she told me that as we grow, “our tastes change” and it was the first time I’d ever heard that (at age nine, obviously) and I held on to it ever since.
Hoping my tastes would change for the better towards vegetables. Things like broccoli and tree-like and green.
Hoping it would change for pasta and sauce.
And it’s happening. WHOA.
These short ribs were my first victim.
In the past, when I’d make any sort of sauce (or, um, pour it out of a can), I’d usually reach for marinara. Something simple, you know? But with my severe infatuation with short ribs, I was dying for them to go in the sauce. I KNEW it had to happen.
Let’s be real: I love short ribs in every way besides the traditional braised preparation. It’s like… how much can I trash up ribs that are short?
So now, it’s like 25 degrees below zero outside. Or feels like it, at least. Whatever, wind chill. Don’t you want something easy (hi, crockpot) and comforting (hi, pasta) and covered in grated cheese?
Because I do.
Only thing better would be if we could twirl it on to our forks together.
Slow Cooker Short Rib Sauce with Bucatini
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 8 beef short ribs
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 12 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 cup red wine
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- a few sprigs of fresh thyme
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus more for topping
- 1 pound bucatini pasta cooked
Instructions
- Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat and add canola oil. Season the short ribs with the salt and pepper then lightly coat them with the flour. Add the short ribs to the pot (you may need to do this in two batches) and sear until golden on all sides, about 1 minute per side. Remove the short ribs and add them to the slow cooker.
- Add the mushrooms, onions, garlic, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, paste, beef stock and red wine to the slow cooked with the ribs. Stir in the oregano and thyme. Stir as much as you can, then cook on low for 8 hours.
- After 8 hours, remove the ribs with a pair of kitchen tongs (keep the sauce covered) and let them slightly cool until you can touch them. Remove the beef from the ribs and add it back to the slow cooker. Add in the brown sugar, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and cheese. Stir well and cook for another hour on low heat. Remove the thyme sprigs.
- Before serving, taste the sauce and season additionally if desired. You might need more salt and pepper. Don’t be afraid to add it! Serve over bucatini and top with extra cheese.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
those noodle pillows though.
79 Comments on “Slow Cooker Short Rib Sauce with Bucatini.”
I love short ribs any way I can get them!This looks so yummy!
This looks crazy good!! I have to say I am the opposite since I am pregnant AGAIN! I have so many aversions. It looks good though! Pinning to make in the 2nd or 3rd trimester. :-)
And you added mushrooms.
Perfection!!
No need to feel bad for not like pasta as a kid. Even little versions of us are naive to the great taste that basic foods can can carry ;)
Short ribs oven baked, grilled or braised; Serve me a double plate Jessica!
Looks fabulous Jess. I HATED tomato sauce when I was a kid….or any sauce for that matter. I would scrape it out of my lasagna or pizza and just eat the noodles/bread and cheese. Yeah. My parents were real thrilled with that. But now I’m a lover of all things saucy! It’s FREEZING here, so I definitely need this! Say warming snuggling with that little man of yours!
I hear you on the tomato sauce! Although it’s not that unusual for me because I’ve been loving it hard over the past year or so, preferably with lots of basil and spices mixed in. It’s a whopping 1 degree F here in Ontario today (and way worse with the windchill) so something nice and tomato sauce slathered sounds lovely right now!
I just want to swim in this meal! And that grated cheese — you’ve stolen my heart.
I have to tell you that I have started the habit of checking your Instaram everyday just to check to see if you have posted a new picture of adorable Max. I don’t even have an Instagram account but I am happy I can click from your site and get my “Max fix”. I am a regular reader and have been for about 5 years. I am so happy for you and your husband as you enter this new phase of life. Your little guy is just so precious and expressive. I am looking forward to watching him grow and change. Thanks so much for sharing with all of us.
My dream pasta right here.
Died and went to heaven. I couldn’t be more into EVERYTHING about this. It’s perfect. Perfect, perfect, perfect!
I don’t eat a lot of tomato sauce (butter, garlic, and cheese, please!), but I would totally gobble this down. In like 5 minutes.
Dumping parmesan cheese on top is one of my favorite parts about pasta!
Where so you buy bucatini? I can’t find it anywhere! I’ve checked Harris teeter, whole foods and trader joes!
i find it at my local grocery store! which is giant eagle.
This looks good. I have some short ribs in the freezer and had no idea what I wanted to do with them….. I think this is it.
On another note, I was blessed with your cookbook for Christmas and I am loving it. I have made lemon almond tilapia, roasted garlic white bean hummus and the BBQ mushroom and caramelized onion grilled cheese since Sunday. In Love.
I’ve been in Georgia for the past month (I know, boo hoo, #lifeishard) and fly home tomorrow and short ribs are the first thing I plan on making in my inherited Christmas gift crock pot. Not a huge red sauce fan, either. I was the freak in elementary school who didn’t like pasta or pizza because of the red sauce. My fave restaurant back home does a short rib poutine with a decadent gravy – oh gaaaaad.
YAS!! bucatini has my HEART! it’s so satisfying, i just wanna shovel it in my mouth. and i just got a slow cooker (!!!) so, yes, this will be happening very soon.
I agree, tomato sauce is not my fave. Give me pink sauce any day.
i had short rib pasta at cucina urbana in san diego and it was life changing! must try this version at home.
I’m so excited to try this recipe. So delicious! So inspirational!
http://www.trangscorner.com
My hubs is a big fan of spaghetti bolognese – couldn’t get enough of it in Kenya (loads of Italian restaurants in Africa. . .go figure). This feels like a sophisticated, more adult version.
I’m really not a tomato sauce person either, but omg, that plate of food looks perfect!
I hated tomato sauce and all its iterations my entire life–until I was pregnant. And then I craved it all the time.
Literally comfort in a bowl!
Now that is my kinda short rib! Pasta and fall of the bone tender meat. Hello comfort in a bowl!
Yum! I love short ribs!
I NEED these short ribs. This dish looks amazing. I can imagine eating a huge plate of this tonight. No problem.
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My taste buds changed after my pregnancy. Before, I couldn’t stand the sight of a raw tomato, now I could eat a Caprese salad every day. I hated anything spicy, during my pregnancy, we ate at this amazing Mexican place at least twice a week. Congratulations to you and your husband on your adorable little bundle of awesomeness!
This looks so amazing!, I can’t wait to try!,
Sooooo much yumm happening here! Pinning!
I. Have. To. Have. This. Looks amazing! I have been following you almost since the beginning. I don’t often comment, but several recipes are family favorites, i.e. goat cheese stuffed roast chicken, shrimp with brie, white wine and tomatoes. Those are oldies, i know. i could go on.
Anyway, Congratulations on your adorable baby boy. You look and seem so happy!
Also, Congratulations on your cookbook! I am sending a copy to my daughter.
Next stop- Food Network!!
This looks amazing!! But I don’t have a slow cooker :( Is there a way to adapt this without using one?
Hi Janice! Sorry if I’m butting in (well I guess I am butting in but I love to help! hehe). I’m thinking that turning the oven ultra low and covering the pan with foil should do the trick! But maybe add a teensy bit more of liquid?
I love short ribs! I normally sear them and braise them in the oven for a few hours, but I think this crock-pot version looks effortless and delicious! I love it over the bucatini!
This is one of the tastiest, juiciest things I’ve seen as of late!!!! I’m craving it bad now… :D
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Well, I love a good red sauce…and short ribs, so this is a match made in heaven! I couldn’t wait to try it, so I made it yesterday. OMG! My husband and I gobbled it up. Looking forward to the “Planovers” (as my husband calls them). Best, Beth C.
Update: the “Planovers” were amazing. And since we still had some of the sauce left, for another dinner I sautéed some Italian sausages and threw them in and we had a third amazing meal. This might be my new favorite red sauce Yum!
Curious, did you drain the diced tomatoes? I have this in the crockpot now, followed the recipe exactly and it looks like a lot of liquid. Thanks!
Mary Ellen, no I didn’t drain the tomatoes. I did end up using San Marzano whole plumb tomatoes, which I crushed by hand. Sorry, I just saw this. Hope yours came out as spectacular as mine. I’m still thinking about it!
Just put this in the crockpot – excited! You may want to note how big of a pot to use (really big). My derpy boyfriend had the 4qt out and really thought it’d all fit until I insisted otherwise ;)
My family would go nuts for this dinner. Adding it to the must-try soon list!
All your recipes are wonderful! I tried this one tonight and had a couple of questions. I used diced tomatoes undrained. I think that there was too much liquid in the sauce. Should I have drained the tomatoes? Took some liquid out and added half/half to cut the acid. Added a few more flakes for more heat. Wonderful!!! Thank you.
I made this last night and it was so freaking good! Since I’ve been dairy free I haven ‘t really liked spaghetti sauce since I can’t have Parmesan cheese on it. I went ahead and made this even though i’m not a huge fan of wine in my sauce (my MIL makes it that way and I don’t like it). I made this because my husband and son would like it. I only did a few things different (used veggie broth, and didn’t measure wine and broth and used a whole little can of tomato paste)….OMG this was one of the best meals I’ve made in a while! Serves 4-6? Maybe with HUGE Portions! I didn’t even use half of the sauce…I have 4 cups left and 6 of us ate it and they couldn’t even eat the servings I gave them. Now i have a dinner in the freezer. Excellent Excellent Excellent!
I am a short rib newbie and have what may be a stupid question. When I went to get the short ribs all they had were 3 pkgs of them and there was quiet a bit of variance in the size of them. The 3 pkgs all together came out to 8 ribs even though some were so much bigger than the others. The total weight is just over 3 lbs. just wondering if you could give an approx weight before cooking of the amount you used, so my sauce to meat ratio will be closest to yours. Would love to make this for tonight. Thank you.
terri! i’m so sorry i missed this the day you asked – how did it turn out?
short ribs do vary SO much – i usually try to ask the butcher if they have some in the back (they often give good, meaty ones!) – but in any case i always try to choose the ones with the MOST meat. short ribs always cook down and it seems like you get no meat off the bones, so when i doubt, go with more! since there is such a variance, i rarely do the same amount (in weight/lbs) twice – i just go by the meatiest ribs.
Wow! I just tried making a beef dish in my crockpot for the first time (EVER!) last week. It was amazing. This recipe sounds like it’d be a perfect one to try for #2.
seriously this was one of the best dishes I have ever made!! Melt in your mouth ribs and the bucatini was out of this world (I had never heard of it) – highly recommend getting the bucatini.
Oh my gawwwwwd that rib photo. And bucatini! My FAVE pasta. I’m gonna do this. This weekend. Or now.
Oh my goodness I have been Craving Craving tomato sauce also for a while to.
but only with spaghetti and meatballs .Your way looks better to me and will taste better to my Family .They don’t want S&M again, this they will love and ask
me to cook again . U go girl Friday
I am sorry if u or your ‘s think that I said the same thing . but that’s just how I
really feel . And SO IS THIS BITE ME HARD …….
Love this, but I’m newly gluten free – can you omit the flour from the short ribs, or substitute something in its place? Thanks!
you can definitely skip that step!
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I have about 2lbs of flanken short ribs. Should I reduce the cooking time and by how much ? Thanks!
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