Comforting beef and pasta ragu

Slow cooker meals are always tasty and the best part is they’re so easy to make! This recipe is super easy to throw together and the flavours are exceptional. After cooking for 6 hours, the beef is tender and falls apart easily, while the veggies are perfectly done. Serve it up with a good heap of grated parmesan and a sprinkling of fresh parsley. Any leftovers can be frozen and reheated when you need a delicious and quick meal later down the track!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1kg beef chuck steak, cut into 4cm pieces
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 x 400g cans cherry tomatoes in juice
• 1 cup beef stock
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• Cooked fettuccine, to serve
• Grated parmesan, to serve
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, to serve

Method

1. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook beef, in two batches, for 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to the bowl of a 5.5-litre slow cooker.

2. Add remaining oil to pan. Add onion, celery and carrot. Cook for 3 minutes or until just tender.

3. Add wine, tomatoes with liquid from cans, stock, paste and thyme to pan. Bring to the boil. Carefully pour over beef. Stir to combine. Cover with lid.

4. Cook on low for 6 hours (or on high for 4 hours) or until beef is very tender. Stir with a wooden spoon to roughly shred beef. Toss ragu through fettuccine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with parmesan and parsley.