This quick and easy weeknight Instant Pot beef ragu is made using a jar of marinara to develop rich flavors. Pot roast shreds into a comforting pasta sauce that tastes like it took hours to make! Serve over pasta, polenta, or even a baked potato.
This post is sponsored by Lucini Italia, using their organic tomato sauces
Zoella locked me in the garage a few days ago. In between prepping and cooking dinner, I went to quickly toss in a load of laundry. I walked the 10 feet from the kitchen to the washing machine in the garage, leaving the door wide open behind me so I could hear Zoella sweetly playing with her 5 month old brother on the kitchen floor. Then SLAM. Just when you think they're preoccupied...
It turns out she can reach the dead bolt now and knows how to use it. Only one of us found the whole debacle hilarious - guess who?
My mom was also very amused. When I was a toddler the same age I locked her on the balcony behind the sliding glass door, laughing all the while. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Unlike toddler me, though, Zoella was fortunately also able and willing to unlock the dead bolt. Maybe it's time to get keypad locks on all our doors. Or hide a key? Or send my laundry out?
To say I have my hands full during dinnertime is an understatement. Unless Lucas is home early, I get about 5-10 minutes to prep dinner with two hands before I'm splitting attention with five other things while holding a baby or a toddler on my hip. Dinners need as little hands on time as possible in our house.
Weeknight Instant Pot Pasta Sauce
That's what makes this weeknight instant pot beef ragu perfect for busy weeknights. Nothing complicated - no prepping elaborate ingredients or tending to a pot. If you can chop an onion, garlic, and carrot and shred beef, the rest of the recipe practically makes itself.
Lucas thinks I need to start a new recipe series. Dinners that you can make entirely with one hand while holding a 16-35 pound child with the other.
Here's my shortcut trick: Start with a jar of flavorful high-quality pasta sauce to stew the beef. If you want a comforting flavorful beef ragu in the Instant Pot, this is the only way to go. Using Lucini's organic Tuscan Marinara or Spicy Tuscan Tomato sauce, infuses the ragu with rich flavors that make this instant pot pasta sauce taste like it's been stewing for hours. To make it even easier, you could even skip the onion and carrots if you really wanted. Lucini's sauces include them. But I add them for a little texture and layer of umami.
I made my instant pot beef ragu with the Tuscan Marinara sauce for a version that my spicy-averse toddler would like. Though you could use any of Lucini's organic tomato sauces. After eating two of my test batches of this Instant Pot meat sauce for dinner in one week, my mom went back home and promptly messaged me for the recipe. She then made it to eat for dinner a third time, but this time with the Spicy Tuscan Tomato sauce, which she raved was just as delicious. That Spicy Tuscan Tomato sauce is my favorite - just the right amount of kick to balance out the flavors of the sauce. Whether you're cooking for yourself or guests, choose whichever sauce speaks to your preferences!
Instant Pot Pot Roast with Marinara = Weeknight Beef Ragu
Imagine an Instant Pot pot roast stewed in a flavorful Tuscan marinara sauce until the meat tenderizes and shreds into a thick pasta sauce. That's this weeknight beef ragu. It's a cozy comforting sauce that simultaneously tastes familiar and exceptional. Homey enough for to serve on just any other night, while also special enough for a celebration or intimate meal (like, say, Valentine's Day?).
Grab a box of fettuccine or pappardelle for a random Wednesday night or if you've got a bit more time, serve this Instant Pot beef ragu over homemade whole grain gluten-free pasta. Toss some over cheesy polenta or a baked potato. We've given this versatile sauce now a permanent spot on our rotating list of weeknight easy Instant Pot recipes.
What is Ragu Sauce?
Typically, Italian Ragu is a tomato-based sauce made with substantial amounts of either ground or minced beef, pork, or veal, though any meat will do. Regionally, there are variations in the ratios, cuts, and types of meats and tomatoes used in a traditional ragu. Some have very little tomato while others insist you use ground meat.
This version uses a chuck roast stewed with a soffrito (in my case, onions, garlic, and carrots because the celery is in the sauce already), and plenty of tomato sauce. As such, this Instant Pot beef ragu is not necessarily classic to a particular region or style, but nonetheless, it's cozy and delicious.
Instant Pot Meat Sauce
When I went out to dinner last week, I left a pot of this beef ragu with pasta for Zoella and Lucas. Zoella really didn't want me to leave that night, so I checked in on them a soon after I left. Lucas texted back, "We're eating dinner. She just said, 'I'm not missing mama right now.'" Ouch, but I'm glad this beef ragu wields that kind of power over a toddler.
Disclosure: Special thanks to Lucini Italia for providing the ingredients for this recipe and sponsoring this post! And thanks to you for supporting the companies that keep Snixy Kitchen cooking!
Recipe
Weeknight Instant Pot Beef Ragu
Ingredients
- 2-2½ lbs beef chuck, cut into 2-3 inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- ½ cup red wine
- 25.5 oz jar Lucini organic tomato sauce, I recommend Lucini's Organic Tuscan Marinara or Spicy Tuscan - both of these are well-seasoned!
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 lb cooked pasta, such as penne or pappardelle (gluten-free if needed)
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Buratta
- Fresh oregano
INSTRUCTIONS
- Turn your pressure cooker or Instant Pot to "sauté" setting and adjust the temperature to "more." Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Once hot, brown the beef on all sides, working in batches if needed, for 2 minutes per side. Transfer meat to a plate.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil and adjust temperature to "normal." Add the onion, carrot, and garlic, and cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the red wine and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the tomato sauce, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Clean the jar of the sauce out with ¼ cup of water and add that to the pot as well. Give it a good stir then nestle the beef back into the pot so it's fully submerged in the sauce.
- Place the lid on the pressure cooker and set the pressure release valve to the steaming position. Set the pressure to "high" pressure for 50 minutes.
- With a kitchen towel to avoid splatter, carefully move the pressure release valve to venting position for a manual pressure release. Once the float valve has gone down, open the lid. Set the Instant Pot to "sauté" on "normal" temperature while you shred the beef and let cook for about 10 minutes to thicken up, as desired. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
- Spoon over cooked pasta and serve with parmesan cheese, burrata, and or fresh oregano.
Lisa -
Can you give instructions for doing on stovetop in a Dutch oven? Thanks,sounds wonderful!
Sarah Menanix -
Thanks! I haven't tested it this way, but if I were to convert it to cooking in a dutch oven, I would start it on the stovetop then braise it in the oven. I think you'd need a little more liquid - I would start by adding an extra cup of water or beef broth (since you're cooking it longer there's more time for the liquid to cook off, so I'd start there so you don't end up with a dry pot! If when it's done the sauce is too liquidy still, just simmer it uncovered on the stove to cook off some of the extra liquid and reduce the sauce.) Cook just as listed up until you add all the liquid. Then I'd bring it to a simmer, nestle the beef back in, cover, and put it in the oven at 325°F for 2.5-3 hours until the meat is very tender and easily shreds. If you end up making it on the stove, please let me know how it turns out for you!
bella -
This recipe looks so scrumptious...I mean, every image has me dreaming of eating a big bowl of this! I don't have an Insta-Pot either, so I appreciate you sharing some tips on how to do it on the stovetop ;)
Sarah Menanix -
<3 <3 Thank you!! I'm so sad I missed you last night, BTW! First, I should tell you that I was SO RESISTANT to getting an Instant Pot - I thought I'd never use it - but when I finally caved and bought one on sale, I am SO HAPPY I did. I use it all the time. Plus, it can replace a rice cooker if you use one of those. I know you definitely like to be minimal in the stuff you've got, and I'm over here trying to sell you on an Instant Pot, but I have no shame lol. BUT if you want to make it on the stovetop, I'm copying and pasting these tips from the comment above: "I haven’t tested it this way, but if I were to convert it to cooking in a dutch oven, I would start it on the stovetop then braise it in the oven. I think you’d need a little more liquid – I would start by adding an extra cup of water or beef broth (since you’re cooking it longer there’s more time for the liquid to cook off, so I’d start there so you don’t end up with a dry pot! If when it’s done the sauce is too liquidy still, just simmer it uncovered on the stove to cook off some of the extra liquid and reduce the sauce.) Cook just as listed up until you add all the liquid. Then I’d bring it to a simmer, nestle the beef back in, cover, and put it in the oven at 325°F for 2.5-3 hours until the meat is very tender and easily shreds. If you end up making it on the stove, please let me know how it turns out for you!" <3 <3 <3
Alice -
Sarah I made this last night for dinner. It was so delicious! I served it over cheesy polenta. Even my husband, who isn’t a huge pot roast fan, loved it. He went back for a second helping. Thanks for a great recipe.
Kevin -
Hey Sarah,
I came across your site not for this recipe but for your Southwest Black Bean Pasta when I was looking for something to do with a bag of it that my girlfriend picked up from Trader Joe's. By the way, that stuff sent our tastebuds to a different planet! Saving it in my arsenal for future use.
This ragu popped up as a suggested recipe on that page, and since I love meat sauce, I decided to take a look. I don't own an Instant Pot, nor was I able to find Lucinda marinara sauce at my local grocery store. I saw some people requesting for some methods on cooking this without the Instant Pot, so I can let you all know I've tried it and I was very satisfied with the outcome. I did a lot of what you suggested in the comments previously, but will recap what I did for clarity.
1 - Seared the cubed chuck in batches (I used olive oil instead of vegetable oil) in a 8 qt pot
2 - Sautéed the veggies for 4 minutes (without using Lucinda, next time, I'd add celery in with my sauté)
3 - Poured in 2/3 cup red wine (instead of 1/2) to scrape the bits
4 - Added spices and bay leaves (I always add my dry ingredients to the base before adding too much liquid. I like it to stick to my solid ingredients)
5 - Added a tuscan marinara sauce (different brand), filled jar 2/3 of the way with water, shook it up, and dumped in with the rest of the mixture
6 - Brought to a boil, stirred again, added seared meat back in
7 - Returned to a boil, reduced to simmer, added lid, and let simmer, covered, for 1 hour (next time, I would simmer without lid to cook down some liquid - I do this with my chili before transferring to a crock pot and it always turns out great)
8 - Transferred to crock pot and let it cook on low for 2 hours
9 - Removed meat from crock pot with slotted spoon, discarded bay leaves, shredded meat and returned to pot. Covered with heat still on low
10 - Used linguine as my pasta (it's what I had in the pantry), so had about 10-15 minutes of the meat thickening in the sauce while the pasta cooked
11 - Served meat over pasta, sprinkle of grated parm. I didn't have burrata, but had mozz balls available, so halved and used those. Sprinkled with fresh oregano by using my herb sippers (multiple slotted scissors - they are AWESOME)
Again, overall I was very satisfied. The meat shredded easier than any meat I've ever pulled, and that's saying something, because I've worked with a lot of crock pot meals in the past. I'd be curious to try it with the Lucinda sauce, as my marinara needed something. So, for anyone with the same dilemma as me, I may recommend some Lawry's Seasoning Salt, maybe some hot hungarian paprika, and MORE herbs - Italian/herbs de provence, or a blend of your own - this isn't tried and tested yet, but that's what I'd do next time.
Thanks again for two great recipes, Sarah. Will be following you more.
PS - I own a small, independent publishing company. We should connect in case you're considering doing a book in the future. I may be able to help you out. Left my email address for ya on the form :-)
Kevin -
Probably should note that I rushed through the above and now realize it's "Lucini" - sorry for the mixups there!
Kathy milligan -
Can you freeze this sauce
Sarah Menanix -
Absolutely! I make a large batch and freeze it all the time!
Anna O -
Hello! My husband and I LOVED this.
I freezed it in a big bag (I probably should have done smaller portions)
I wanted to ask what the reheat instructions are if it has defrosted in the fridge + since I put it all in one big bag and I don't think we will finish it again, is it possible to refreeze it? (Whether I take some out of the big bag and put it back in the freezer or make all of it again and freeze leftovers)
Thanks!