1(25 oz jar)store-bought tomato sauce (I used Prego traditional)
¼cuptomato paste
1(3 inch piece of)Parmesan rind
½cupsun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1teaspoonItalian seasoning
½teaspooncrushed red pepper
salt & pepper to taste
1lbpappardelle pasta
Instructions
Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat and then sear the short ribs on all sides until brown.
Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic to bottom of slow cooker. Add short ribs and stir in the rest of the ingredients, cooking on high for 6 hours or low for 8-10 hours
Remove short ribs from pot and shred. Add back to sauce and taste for seasoning.
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta, saving ¾ cup reserved pasta water and return the pasta to the pot. Add the sauce from the slow cooker and the reserved pasta water. Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring, until the pasta and sauce are combined, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.
Notes
Searing the short ribs is important as it locks in the flavor.
Use a quality dry red wine that you would drink like a Cabernet or Chianti.
Don't skip the Parmesan rind as it enhances the flavor. I always freeze any leftover Parmesan rinds to use for this specific occasion.
Reserved pasta water works as a thickener for the sauce if needed.