Pork Ragu with Pappardelle Recipe(Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, Oven, Stovetop) (2024)

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Instant Pot Pork Ragu is one of the easiest and tastiest recipes. I love to make this meat sauce. This delicious pasta sauce ragu can be made in the Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, Oven, and even Stovetop! This is a fix and forget meat recipe, so you know I love it!

A perfect make ahead meal! Great for family dinners and always an easy meal to make for family and friends!

First Published: October 03,2018... Last Updated: May 26, 2019

After celebrating both Pumpkin Week and Apple Week and today I hit the east end of Long Island to get some fresh fall veggies from my favorite farm stand, I came to the conclusion fall is in full swing! It is a no-brainer, I must share this hearty Pork Ragu Recipe! Easy, delicious and I promise, this pasta sauce is straight up comfort food!

Another family favorite recipe and I hope it becomes a favorite for your family.

Pork Ragu, an amazing meat sauce!

I started making this pork ragu a few years ago. We were visiting friends on Fire Island. It was a potluck type of day! One of the guests whipped up a pork ragu that is generations old in his family. He shared his recipe with me!

The hubs and I loved it! We eat this pork ragu year-round. It is just so darn good!

Besides tasting great, I love that this pasta sauce can be made in just about any cooking vessel!

I can't pick a favorite because the pork tastes amazing cooked in them all! Plus, I am getting feedback from you all, which I love, that you like to have the options of different cooking vessels! So I am going to give them to you!

I will say making this pork ragu in the Instant Pot is so easy. Very convenient for busy nights too!

What is pork ragu?

Ragu is Italiancuisine. Usually using pork or beef with veggies and tomatoes. A great sauce for pasta.

How do you serve this ragu?

I love serving Pork Ragu with Pappardelle, Bucatini or other thicker pasta, mashed potatoes, zoodles, or mashed cauliflower.

Can you freeze this recipe?

Yes! This is one of those perfect freezer meals. I use my new favorite meal prep tool to freeze everything these days! The pork ragu stays well for 4 months when frozen correctly.

What type of pork is best for this ragu?

I use either bone-in or boneless pork country ribs. A shoulder pork roast also works to make pork ragu.

How to prepare Pork Ragu and Pappardelle for family and friends:

Want to make the pork ragu ahead of time and freeze? Freeze the ragu. Remove the sauce from the freezer the evening before. Keep in the fridge to defrost. Reheat the pork ragu on the stovetop, stirring frequently. Prepare the pasta according to manufacturer directions. I love this when guests come over! The pork ragu has little prep when made ahead.

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Slow Cooker Directions:

Season pork with black pepper and garlic powder.
In a large saute pan, over medium heat, add olive oil. Add the pork and brown on all sides. Set aside.
Add in the onions, carrots, and celery. Saute for 2 minutes. Add in garlic. Stir one minute.
Stir in the red wineand use a wooden spoon to pick up and stuck brown bits at bottom of the pan. Cook about 2 minutes.
To the slow cooker the red wine reduction, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, bay leaf, fennel, oregano, basil, black pepper, and a dash of salt. Stir together.
Add in the browned pork.
Place lid on slow cooker.
Set for 8 hours low, 4 hours high.
Pork should pull apart easily. Remove and shred the pork, return to sauce. Discard bay leaf.
Check theseasoning, reseason if needed.
Serve pork ragu with pappardelle or your favorite pasta, mashed potatoes, etc.

Oven Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Follow the instructions under "How to Make Slow Cooker Pork Ragu" steps 1 - 4, use a dutch oven or large pot.
Continue with step 5, continue using your dutch oven or large pot to add the remaining ingredients.
Add in the browned pork. Cover with the pot cover or lid.
Braise in oven for about 2 ½ to 3 hours.
Pork should pull apart easily. Remove and shred the pork, return to sauce. Discard bay leaf.
Check theseasoning, reseason if needed.
Serve with any of the yummy choices in step 11 of the slow cooker instructions.

Stovetop Directions:

Follow steps 1-4 of the slow cooker instructions,use a dutch oven or large pot.
Continue with step 5, continue using your dutch oven or large pot to add the remaining ingredients.
Add in the browned pork. Cover with the pot cover or lid.
Reduce heat to low. The pork and ragu sauce will slowly simmer.
Let simmer about 2 -2 ½ hours. Stir every 20 minutes.
Pork should pull apart easily. Remove and shred the pork, return to sauce. Discard bay leaf.
Check theseasoning, reseason if needed.
Serve with any of the yummy choices in step 11 of the slow cooker instructions.

Instant Pot Directions:

Season pork with black pepper and garlic powder.
Turn Instant Pot to "Saute", 15 minutes.
In the base of the Instant Pot add the olive oil and sear the pork pieces, set aside.
Stir in the onions, carrots, and celery. Saute for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic.
Add in red wine. Use a wooden spoon to pick up and stuck brown bits at bottom of the pan. Cook about 2 minutes.
To the Instant Pot, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, bay leaf, fennel, oregano, basil, black pepper, and a dash of salt. Stir together.
Add back in the browned pork.Shut off the Instant Pot.
Place lid on the Instant Pot. Turn the valve to the closed position.
Set manual pressure to 40 minutes. High pressure.
Let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. Turn the knob to release.
Remove lid. Remove pork and shred with for or cooking claw. Discard bay leaf.
Return to pot and check theseasoning, reseason if necessary.
Serve pork ragu with pappardelle or your favorite pasta, mashed potatoes, etc.

Some other recipes you may enjoy:

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Slow Cooker Moo Shu Pork

Beef Mushroom Guinness PIe

Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef

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📖 Recipe

Instant Pork Ragu Recipe

Pork Ragu is a hearty sauce that is a great sauce on pasta, mashed potatoes, zoodles, or mashed cauliflower. Instructions included for Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, Oven, Stovetop. A great make ahead freezer. Great for a family dinner or when guests are coming for dinner.

4.93 from 14 votes

Print Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: fall comfort food, meat sauce, pressure cooker

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes minutes

natural release of Instant Pot: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 295kcal

Author: Eileen xo

Equipment Needed:

Ingredients

Browning the Pork

2 ½ pounds boneless country ribs, cut into 2-3 inch chunks See Note 1
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil

Pork Ragu Sauce

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 large onion, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup red wine
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
28 ounce can, diced tomatoes drain excess liquid
4 ounces tomato paste
4 ounces water
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried fennel
salt and pepper, to taste
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, garnish optional
fresh Parmesan Reggiano Cheese, garnish optional, Note 3

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Season country pork ribs with garlic powder,onion powder, and black pepper. Set aside.
Turn the Instant Pot to Saute, 15 minutes. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Add in the seasoned pork and sear until brown on all sides. Set aside pork.
If needed, add the second Tablespoon of olive oil to the Instant Pot. Add in the carrots, celery, and onions. Saute till veggies get soft, around 3 minutes. Add in the minced garlic, stir for a minute.
Add in the red wine, use a wooden spoon to bring up any brown bits at the bottomof the pot. (Note 2). Let saute about 3 minutes.
Stir in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, bay leaf, oregano, basil, and fennel. Add in a dash of salt and pepper. Cancel saute on the instant pot. Add in the brown pork pieces.
Place lid on Instant Pot, lock it and close the vent. Press "Pressure Cook" high pressure and put the time to 40 minutes. Once cooking complete, naturally release the pressure for about 5 minutes. Then turn valve to auto release remaining steam.
Once complete, remove the lid, discard the bay leaf. Shred the pork, check seasoning, reseason if needed.
Serve with pappardelle or your favorite pasta. If a low-carb alternative is needed, see note 4.

Notes

Note 1: I use boneless country ribs. Country ribs on the bone can be used as well as boneless shoulder roast.

Note 2: Make sure you bring up all the brown bits at the bottom of the pot. Besides adding flavor this also prevents the "burn" message on the Instant Pot.

Note 3: Although fresh Parmesan Reggiano is optional, please don't leave it out, so delicious on top of the pork ragu! Mangia!

Note 4: Pork ragu recipe is really amazing with pappardellepasta. To keep your meal low-carb, feel free to have this over zoodles, cauliflower rice, cauliflower mash, or spaghetti squash.

Nutrition

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Pork Ragu with Pappardelle Recipe(Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, Oven, Stovetop) (2024)

FAQs

Is pulled pork better in the Instant Pot or Crock Pot? ›

Slow cooking the meat means it never has the chance to toughen up and will be extra silky and tender. Pressure cooking is faster, though you may lose a little bit of the tenderness. If you're going for the pressure cook method, be sure to get a pork shoulder or pork butt, as opposed to a pork loin.

Get More Info Here ›

How do you make Ragu taste richer? ›

There are few secrets, but the main is…you need to work on it!

Use the right cut of meat - “Beef” is too generic. ...
Bacon - you need some; don't use smoked.
Tomato - not too much; peeled tomatoes are OK, but be careful: water is the enemy of ragù! ...
Keep the meat separate - the first thing to do is p.

Feb 20, 2017

View Details ›

How do you thicken Ragu in a slow cooker? ›

Add a slurry at the end.

A slurry is a mixture of flour and water, whisked together until smooth and added towards the end of cooking; it's a super-simple way to thicken any soup. For slow cooker soups, add your slurry with at least 30 minutes of cook time left so that the raw flour can cook and thicken the soup.

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What happens if you overcook pork in instant pot? ›

Unfortunately, once you overcook a piece of meat in the pressure cooker, there's no going back. You'll be left with a pile of dry, crunchy, tasteless fibers and no amount of additional pressure cooking is going to put that moisture back into the meat.

Tell Me More ›

What is the best liquid to cook pulled pork in? ›

Transfer everything to a large slow cooker and add a splash of liquid — water is great, but so is broth, apple juice, or beer if you have them handy. Cover and cook on low until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily.

Find Out More ›

Why did my Instant Pot pulled pork come out tough? ›

An immediate release can be why your Instant Pot pulled pork is tough. It will cause the meat to seize and toughen. Avoid Using Pork Tenderloin. Don't use pork tenderloin, which is far too lean for pulled pork.

What is the best way to thicken a ragu? ›

How to Thicken Sauce Through Reduction. The easiest way to thicken a sauce is to reduce the liquid in a pot on the stovetop, widely used in slow-simmered ragus or pan sauces. For a ragu, you typically add wine or stock to browned meat, then let the sauce simmer to develop the flavors.

Read On ›

Why is my ragu watery? ›

Adding too much pasta water to the spaghetti sauce is often the root cause of a watery sauce. Other causes include excess water from the noodles themselves or inadequately cooking down the sauce.

Keep Reading ›

Why is my Instant Pot pork not tender? ›

If you find that your instapot pulled pork is tough after cooking, it's likely because you did a quick pressure release instead of a natural pressure release. Make sure you do a natural pressure release for 2 minutes before opening the vent.

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Why is my pork roast still tough in the Instant Pot? ›

It is more common to undercook pork in the Instant Pot than overcook it. If the meat seems tough, it is most likely undercooked and needs additional time.

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Why is my pork tough after slow cooking? ›

It's because you haven't let the collagen break down. Extend the cook time, make sure there's enough liquid and keep an eye on the dish.

Read On ›

Is an Instant Pot really better than a crock pot? ›

An Instant Pot is a countertop appliance that slow-cooks—and then some. It is a brand of multicooker, an appliance known for having lots of features, typically including slow cooking, pressure cooking, rice cooking, steaming, searing, fermenting, and more. In sum, multicookers do more than slow cookers.

Get More Info Here ›

Which makes meat more tender, slow cooker or pressure cooker? ›

Traditionally cheaper cuts of meat always slow cook better. Slow cooking breaks down the connective collagen in meat, which turns into unctuous gelatine. This creates that soft and tender mouth feel we all crave.

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Is it better to cook pork fast or slow? ›

Pork can be cooked in as little as 30 minutes and still have delicious flavor! Other recipes may take 30 minutes to prep and 6 hours to cook, but it is still simple to prepare. (Low and slow cooking is the only way to transform tough pork shoulder into succulent pulled pork.)

Learn More ›

Can you overcook pulled pork in crock pot? ›

However, if pulled pork is overcooked for too long, the opposite happens. The meat becomes dry, and tough, and loses its moisture, making it difficult to shred as it should.

Show Me More ›