Pappardelle with Slow-Cooker Beef Ragu

 This was great on a hot Sunday afternoon, and would be even better on a chilly Sunday afternoon.  I now have an herb garden, so I was able to use fresh Rosemary. Pros: there are very few ingredients,the procedure is simple and it has a pleasant spicy-ish flavor.  Cons: none that I can think of.  I couldn't find pappardelle, so I used farfalle.

2-3 servings

19 calculated points

Cabernet Franc

Ingredients

1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup dry red wine

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3 cloves garlic, sliced

Kosher salt

1 sprig rosemary

1 3-inch piece parmesan rind

1 pound beef chuck roast

Freshly ground pepper

12 ounces fresh pappardelle

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Whisk the tomatoes, wine, tomato paste, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the rosemary and parmesan rind. Season the beef all over with salt and pepper and add to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until the meat is very tender, 7 hours. Shred the meat in the slow cooker with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat. Discard the rosemary sprig and parmesan rind.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain. Return the pasta to the pot and add the shredded meat and sauce; stir in the reserved cooking water. Cook over medium-high heat, tossing occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in half the parsley. Divide among bowls and drizzle with the olive oil; top with shredded parmesan and the remaining parsley.