If you need an easy, affordable dinner that will be sure to please a crowd, look no further than this Pork Ragu in the Slow Cooker. Tender shredded pork shoulder sits in a rich tomato sauce that is perfect over pasta or a plate of creamy polenta for the perfect Italian comfort dinner. It takes 6 hours in the crock pot, but only 15 minutes to throw together.
This is a great recipe for a crowd. I put this on in the morning when family visits overnight. When you are feeding a big crowd all day long, it can feel like one meal gets cleaned up and onto the next. I try to plan for lots of easy meals that won't keep me in the kitchen all day long. This Pork Ragu takes me 15 minutes to throw together in the crock pot, and then I don't have to think about it again until dinner time.
I've tested this recipe a few different ways. I have made it in a dutch oven. I have tried sauteing all of the vegetables and browning the meat first before adding the ingredients to the slow cooker. One morning, I was in a hurry, so I just threw everything into the slow cooker and it turned out perfectly.
I wouldn't steer you away from steps that added flavor to save a few minutes, because taste is everything. I can assure you, those other steps ended up being a waste of time. I could not tell the difference, so skip the extra steps and just dump everything into the slow cooker and let it cook.
If you love a good red sauce, try Italian Meatballs in Red Sauce or this Classic Meat Lasagna.
Make this recipe, because...
It's delicious! The pork shoulder is very tender and practically melts into the rich tomato sauce.
The sauce itself picks up all of the rich fat from the pork and clings to thick pasta perfectly.
Slow Cooker Pork Ragu is easy and budget friendly. You could make it any night of the week and put a large family meal on the table for around $10.
You can prep this recipe for your freezer and have meals ready to cook for all of your busy nights.
Ingredients
Boneless Pork Shoulder- Pork shoulder is super inexpensive and is perfect for slow cooking. Pork Butt is a good alternative. It is also a flavorful and fatty cut of pork that is just right for Ragu.
Instructions
Step 1
- Place a 2lb pork roast in the crock pot.
- Then, dump a can of crushed tomatoes over the top. Add diced onions, minced garlic, and spices along with a bouillon cube and a cup of water.
- Set the slow cooker for 6 hours, cover, and try to keep yourself distracted while the amazing aromas fill your house and make your mouth water.
Step 2
- When the timer goes off, use tongs or a couple of forks to shred the pork and stir it into the braising liquid.
FAQs
While ragu is great served over pasta it is actually a braised meat dish. It can be made with beef, chicken, lamb, or even wild game. The meat needs to be cooked at a low temperature, in a braising liquid for a long time to give you meat that is falling apart.
Pork shoulder or pork butt are best for making this dish in the crock pot. Pork shoulder has a good amount of fat that will render down into the sauce, and it is mostly free of sinew and cartilage that would be unpleasant to eat.
It is readily available and very inexpensive. You can buy large pieces of pork shoulder with the bone intact or boneless pieces that are ready to place right in the crock pot. If you only find a large piece still on the bone, you can remove the bone and cut the roast into a few large pieces.
Expert Tips
You can place all of the ingredients for this Slow Cooker Pork Ragu in a food storage bag and freeze to use later. I recommend leaving the extra water out of the freezer bag and adding to the recipe the day you cook it.
You can also freeze leftover sauce for later use. If you don't have a big family, this recipe will easily be more than one meal's worth of Ragu.
Serve this beautiful braised pork over pasta using the juices like a sauce. I would recommend a heavier, thicker pasta like bucatini, rigatoni, or pappardelle. A broader noodle will carry the meat and sauce nicely.
Polenta and risotto are also great options to accompany Pork Ragu. Polenta and Ragu are to Italians what short ribs and mashed potatoes are to Americans.
Add a fresh salad to make the perfect meal!
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Pork Ragu
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Boneless Pork Shoulder pork butt or picnic roast
- 23oz Can Crushed Tomato
- 1 Chicken Bouillon Cube + 1 Cup Water ( Water added when cooking or 1 Cup Chicken Broth)
- 1 Yellow Onion Diced
- 6 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 Tablespoon Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
- 2 Tablespoon Granulated Garlic
- 2 Tablespoon Granulated Onion
- 1 Tablespoon Oregano
- 1 Teaspoon Basil
- 1 Teaspoon Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Parsley, dried
Instructions
- Place pork roast, diced onions, minced garlic, canned tomatoes, bouillon cube, spices, sugar, and water into the slow cooker.
- Set the slow cooker for 6 hours on high. Then put the lid on and leave it along until the timer goes off.
- Once the slow cooker has turned off, use tongs and a fork to pull the pork apart.
- Then stir the pulled pork into the tomato sauce.
- Serve over thick pasta or polenta.
Notes
- You can place all of the ingredients for this Slow Cooker Pork Ragu in a food storage bag and freeze to use later. I recommend leaving the extra water out of the freezer bag and adding to the recipe the day you cook it.
- Close and press out air. Place inside an additional freezer bag to prevent leaks. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Defrost before cooking by placing the bag in the fridge the night before.
- Add Defrosted contents plus 1 cup of water to the slow cooker and cook for 6 hours. At the end of the 6 hours, use a fork to shred pork roast into the sauce. Simmer with the lid off for 10 minutes.
- You can also freeze leftover sauce for later use. If you don't have a big family, this recipe will easily be more than one meal's worth of Ragu.
- Serve this beautiful braised pork over pasta using the juices like a sauce. I would recommend a heavier, thicker pasta like bucatini, rigatoni, or pappardelle. A broader noodle will carry the meat and sauce nicely.
Nutrition
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stephanie says
This recipe was delicious, the whole family loved this meal.
Anita says
Perfect and easy comfort food. And the weather is still kinda cold where I live, so this is just perfect. 🙂
Kushigalu says
What a flavorful recipe this was. My family loved it thank you
Dannii says
Pork ragu has to be done in the slow cooker. It just falls apart doesn't it.
Elizabeth says
Mmm this is my kind of easy comfort food recipe! Love that the extras can be frozen for later too!
Debbie says
For 2lbs of pork , your recipe calls fot 3T of salt. Way too salty, also you have parsley in your picture on top but no ingredients on the bottom.
Diana Reis says
Thank you for letting me know an ingredient was missing. As for the salt, I am adjusting a lot of recipes to reflect the use of course salt which doesn't tend to be as salty in those quantities. I would recommend 1 tablespoon of table salt for the whole recipe.
Debbie says
It was still awesome. I am making a 10lb butt this weekend for family. I am adding more black pepper and crushed red pepper.
Thank you!
Diana Reis says
Awesome! I'm so glad it worked out. I always appreciate good honest feedback. Also, adjusting things to taste is essential and I'm so glad you made the adjustments you knew you would like. I hope this turns out awesome for your family.
Ruth says
Is it 6 hours in the slow cooker on high or low? Thanks!
Diana Reis says
I'm glad you asked that. My slow cooker settings are based on time and 6 hours is high.