This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my disclosure policy.
Slow cooker Sunday sauce, also known as “sugo,” is a rich, tomato-based ragu that’s a favorite for family dinners. Traditionally, it’s simmered low and slow from morning until dinnertime, making it the perfect recipe for the slow cooker. Serve it over pasta with a sprinkle of pecorino romano cheese for an unforgettable meal!
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Amazing Flavor: With deep, savory flavors that develop over hours, this hearty sauce will be one your family cherishes for generations.
- Perfect for Large Groups: This recipe makes enough to serve a crowd! Or better yet, double it and use it in meals all week long!
- Make-Ahead Friendly: This tastes even better the next day! It also stays fresh for a whole week and can be frozen for longer storage.
Use Sunday Sauce Instead of Marinara!
If you are looking for a sauce that is full of tomato flavor and meat, this one is for you. Not only is it delicious but you can add it to just about anything! It’s so versatile, I use it in place of marinara sauce in just about any recipe. I often use it for making sheet pan lasagna, and baked rigatoni, or this easy spaghetti pie!
Ingredients Needed
These hearty ingredients make this sauce so packed full of flavor, you will want to use it in everything!
How to Make Slow Cooker Sunday Sauce
The beauty of making Sunday sauce (sugo) in the crock pot is that it’s super quick to prep!
- Sear: Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the short ribs to the pan and sear on all sides for 1-2 minutes until a nice crust has formed. Remove from the pan and place the short ribs in the greased pot of a 7-quart slow cooker.
- Cook: Add the onions and carrots to the pan and cook in the remaining oil for 2-3 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute before transferring to the slow cooker.
- Brown: Cook the Italian sausage in the skillet until no pink remains. Drain off any fat before adding to the slow cooker.
- Combine: Add the can of whole tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, basil, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker and stir until everything is well combined. It’s alright if the short ribs fall apart as you mix everything. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours. Shred the short ribs with two forks and discard the bones before serving. Serve over al dente pasta with pecorino romano cheese on top.
Did she say 9 garlic cloves?
Do I really need nine cloves of garlic? I believe so! It adds so much flavor that I wouldn’t recommend skimping on the garlic. You can even go further and use a whole head of garlic if you’d like! Try roasting the garlic, then use the roasted garlic and the garlic olive oil in place of the garlic and olive oil in the recipe card.
Tips for Making Slow Cooker Sunday Sauce
- Variations: Every family makes their Sunday sauce differently, so you can adapt this recipe to fit your preferences! Use your chosen protein (pork shoulder, sausage, ground beef or pork, short ribs, beef chuck, etc). You can adjust the seasonings to your liking! Add ingredients such as jalapeños, parmesan cheese rind, or tomato sauce instead of whole or crushed tomatoes. Spice it up with red pepper flakes.
- Boneless Short Ribs: Don’t want bone-in short ribs? Use boneless! The bone certainly adds flavor, but it’s not necessary for making this recipe. Just be sure to discard the bones and any unrendered pieces of fat before serving the sauce.
- Use Fresh Herbs: If you would like to use fresh herbs instead of dried ones, the standard rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon of dried herbs.
- Substitute Wine: If you don’t want to use red wine, you may use beef, chicken, or vegetable broth instead.
- Use San Marzano Tomatoes: You have to use San Marzano tomatoes for the best, most authentic flavor. They are super star tomatoes from Italy with a sweeter, less acidic flavor than many other tomato varieties.
- Ways to Serve: How to use Sunday Sauce? Over pasta, in lasagna, on eggplant or chicken parmesan. Use it on a sandwich, in stuffed peppers, with garlic bread, or as a super hearty pizza sauce. The options are endless!
How to Store Leftover Sunday Gravy
Homemade sugo sauce is great for storing in both the fridge and freezer! I love making a large batch to keep in the freezer for those busy days.
- Fridge: Store leftover Sunday sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. Heat in the microwave or on the stovetop until steaming and heated through before serving.
- Freezer: You can freeze slow cooker Sunday sauce in an airtight container or a freezer ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating and serving.
More Delicious Pasta Sauce Recipes
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Slow Cooker Sunday Sauce (Sugo)
Equipment
- 1 7-quart slow cooker
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
- 1 pound Italian sausage, hot or mild
- 1 ½ cups diced onion, about 1 medium onion
- 1 cup diced carrots, about 3 medium carrots
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic, about 9 cloves
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 1 ½ tablespoons dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add the 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high. Add the 2 pounds bone-in beef short ribs to the pan and sear on all sides for 1-2 minutes until a nice crust has formed. Remove from the pan and place the short ribs in the greased pot of a 7-quart slow cooker.
- Add the 1 ½ cups diced onion, and 1 cup diced carrots, to the pan and cook in the remaining oil for 2-3 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the 3 tablespoons minced garlic, and cook for an additional minute before transferring to the slow cooker.
- Cook the 1 pound Italian sausage, in the skillet until no pink remains. Drain off any fat before adding to the slow cooker.
- Add the 1 (28-ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes, 1 (28-ounce) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes,1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste, ½ cup dry red wine, 1 ½ tablespoons dried basil, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper to the slow cooker and stir until everything is well combined. It’s alright if the short ribs fall apart as you mix everything.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours. Shred the short ribs with two forks and discard the bones before serving.
- Serve over al dente pasta with pecorino romano cheese on top.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have not made this yet. On the surface it seems very much like a bolognese which I have made. (Hazan’s). How would you contrast these two? The obvious difference is that this includes short ribs but I’m not sure how much difference that would make.
In my opinion, the difference is that this Sugo is a tomato based sauce with a decadent meat added to it. Bolognese is a ground beef meat based sauce with tomato added. They are similar, but the added short ribs gives the Sugo an elevated flavor palate. You can check out my bolognese recipe here to see check out the differences. They are both fabulous and worth trying!