Pork Ragu

This hearty Pork Ragu is an easy dinner for a busy weekday. I love that I can prepare it in the morning, throw it in the crockpot, and have a healthy, delicious “Sunday” dinner with no fuss!

Everything is easier in the crockpot! It’s one of my favorite things to use in the kitchen. I just LOVE that I can do little prep work in the morning and that a nearly complete meal is ready with hardly any trouble after a long day of work.

And to me, a ragu is nothing if it’s not covering pappardelle pasta. Those long, wide noodles are the perfect vehicle for the pork and delicious sauce. I should learn how to make some of my own one of these days.

What is Ragu?

Ragu is an Italian meat sauce made by slow-cooking meat, vegetables, and liquids over low heat to develop a deep, rich flavor. A traditional ragu uses onions, carrots, and celery, tomatoes, olive oil, and rich red wine, though recipes vary widely!

What You Need For This Recipe

For the meat, you can use a Boston Butt or a Picnic Roast as well. Those cuts will be a bit bigger than a loin but will be just as good. If you prefer to use those, ask your butcher to cut them down to size for you.
You can find more information about different cuts of pork in this post, A Guide to Pork Cuts.

Get a good sear on that meat before you put it into the crockpot, rubbing it with the seasonings and browning it on all sides before placing it into the slow cooker. It will add more flavor to your final dish.

If you’d rather not use the red wine in the recipe, it can be omitted. You can substitute some additional chicken stock or even some red grape juice.

Your favorite pasta! As you know, I LOVE Pappardelle, but of course, you can use your favorite fresh pasta or whatever your family prefers to eat.

Pork Ragu Ingredients

To make this Italian comfort food in the slow cooker, I need a good amount of items, but no fancy ingredients! Here’s what’s on my list:

Olive oil

Pork loin(s)

Canned crushed tomatoes

Chicken stock and red wine (if desired – see note)

Minced onion

Finely grated carrots

Minced garlic

Tomato paste

Italian seasoning

Kosher salt

Ground black pepper

Bay leaves

Pappardelle noodles (or your favorite pasta)

I have a detailed list of ingredients in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, so make sure to scroll down and review it!

How to Make Pork Ragu

This is truly a “fix it and forget it” meal! Here’s how to make it:

Seasoning: In a small bowl, I mix together the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Then I rub this mixture all over the pork loin.

Sear: I heat my olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Then I place the seasoned loin into the heated skillet and sear it on all sides until nicely browned.

Crockpot: I spray the inside of the crockpot with cooking spray and place the seared loin in the bottom of the pan. Then I cover it with the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, minced onion, grated carrots, minced garlic, tomato paste, and the bay leaf. You can mix these all up beforehand or just dump them in like I do! Then I place the cover on and let it cook on low for 6-8 hours (or on high for 4-6 hours).

Shred: When the pork is fall-apart tender, I remove it from the crockpot and put it on a cutting board or in a large bowl. Then I use two forks to shred the meat. I remove the bay leaf from the sauce, then return the shredded pork to the crockpot and cook on low for another 30 minutes.

Serve: I cook the pasta following the package instructions for al dente, drain the pasta water, and serve it topped with my delicious Pork Ragu!

Recipe Notes

I sometimes like a little red wine in my Ragu, so I use ¾ cup chicken stock and ¼ cup red wine. You can use just chicken stock if you prefer to make this without any alcohol.

This recipe will serve 4-6 people. Nutritional information has been calculated for 6 servings.

FAQs

How do I store leftover Pork Ragu sauce?

Once the leftover sauce cools completely to room temperature, I transfer the ragu to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 3-5 days. You can store it with the cooked pasta or without.

Can I freeze Pork Ragu?

Yes, you could make this and freeze it in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw it in the fridge overnight, then reheat in a saucepan until hot throughout, adding a bit more chicken stock if needed. Serve over freshly made pasta.

Can I use other cuts of meat besides a pork loin?

Yes, you could use a Pork Butt/Pork Shoulder or Picnic Roast instead, though you would need to have it cut down to size. I usually ask my butcher to do this with no problem! 

Can I make Pork Ragu in a pressure cooker instead?

While I haven’t tested this recipe in the Instant Pot, you should be able to convert it! I would add my aromatics, then meat and liquids (including the crushed tomatoes), cook until the meat is tender (about an hour), then add the veggies at the end. I would also use a natural release instead of an instant release.

My family really enjoyed this recipe, and I’ve made it quite a bit since I originally posted this years ago. I think your family will enjoy it as much as ours has. It’s tasty, easy, and won’t break the bank. That right there is something to get excited about!

Pork Recipes You’ll Love

I’ve become a big proponent of all things pork, having done multiple farm tours throughout my years of blogging. You can read more about one of my trips to Brenneman Pork in the rest of the post below the recipe card.

These juicy Pork Burgers have quickly become a family favorite! Made with ground pork, shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, and a chipotle seasoning mix, these pork patties are the perfect burger to simplify your busy weekday! I bet you’ve never eaten such a flavorful burger!

This Pork Potstickers recipe is one you’ll come back to again and again because it’s so easy! They’re made of ground pork, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and cabbage tucked into a potsticker wrapper, fried, and then steamed. They make a delicious appetizer or main course for dinner.

Rip into these juicy Pork Spare Ribs for a tasty dinner that is worth the wait! Your sticky fingers will be covered in this homemade BBQ sauce, but the mess is part of what makes these ribs so great! The best part is that this oven recipe means you can have BBQ ribs all year round!

Jack Daniel’s Pork Tenderloin is an easy pork recipe flavored with whiskey, brown sugar, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, and garlic. Marinated for hours then roasted to juicy perfection, this whiskey-infused pork turns dinner into a feast and is perfect for any occasion, especially a busy weeknight!

This Easy BBQ Pork Mac & Cheese recipe is a delicious and hearty dinner made with the pork in your freezer and ingredients you already have in your pantry! Easy, simple, and delicious meals are where it’s at right now. I want to show you how you can combine simple ingredients while saving money, using pork as your protein to create many flavorful dishes.

If you enjoyed this Pork Ragu, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you! Please leave a comment or a recipe review below, and come back for more recipes soon!

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This recipe is gently adapted from Mother Thyme.

I am proud to be partnering with Farming to Fight Hunger for this sponsored post. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.
This post was originally published September 28, 2018. It has been updated in format and with pictures on March 4, 2026.

If you’ve been reading my blog for some time then you know how near and dear to my heart pig farmers are.

Last year I was asked to be a host blogger for the pork tour in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I love meeting the farmers and seeing first hand the passion they not only have for their job but also for the animals in their care. It is truly an eye-opening experience.

In July, I was asked to partner with Farmers Fighting Hunger in the Home Runs for Hunger at Brenneman Pork in Wellman, IA. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance.
Having toured their pig farm in 2015, I have the utmost respect and admiration for the entire Brenneman family. They are completely transparent in all that they do on their farm and have an “ask any question” attitude. The strongly believe the more they and other pig farmers educate the public about all that they do the better it is for everyone.

Rob, his wife Char and their daughter-in-law Erin (to Rob’s left in the center) along with their entire family have built a business that they are extremely passionate about. Plain and simple, they adore pigs and absolutely love going to work every day.

They want to put the best practices to use so that they create a better pork product for the consumer. It is their livelihood and they (especially Rob!) will do whatever is necessary to make sure that happens.

One of my favorite parts of visiting a pig farm is being able to hold the baby pigs right after they’ve been born or even helping the momma give birth to one!
In order to do that, there are safety precautions in place that need to be adhered to. Employees and visitors need to “shower-in”, and even “shower-out” when leaving the nursery. There is also a large air-filtration system in place and the environment is temperature-controlled.

All of these measures that the Brenneman’s have incorporated onto their farm provide a healthy, safe, and positive environment for the pigs which enables them to produce a better-quality product for the consumer.

Home Runs Fighting Hunger

Besides touring the pig farm, we participated in a Home Runs Fighting Hunger softball tournament to raise money for the Wellman, IA food bank.
Erin and her husband Rob built a real-life Field of Dreams right in the cornfields in their backyard! It is AH-mazing!!

They held a softball tournament to encourage participation in local food banks around the country whether it is in the way of donations, volunteering and even spreading the word.
It is so important that we combat hunger because no one should ever be hungry.

As we all know, hunger is a very serious issue here in the United States. I encourage you to find your local food bank here and discover how you can help.

You can read more about our Iowa pig farm experience from other bloggers who were on the trip, too!

Sandra from Dash of Sanity was on the trip as was her husband Jake. It was his first time touring a pig farm and he wrote a fantastic post about Pork Tacos that literally had me in tears! It was truly an amazing experience for him.

Cara, a registered dietitian at Street Smart Nutrition shared what she learned in her post. During our trip, she asked some really great questions and was really impressed with how transparent the Brenneman’s were and how they wanted us to ask them anything!

These Prosciutto & Fontina Topped Italian Pork Chops from Stephanie at Plain Chicken were created after our trip.
All of the bloggers on the trip were amazed at the precautions the Brenneman’s take to care for their animals. They have state of the art facilities, ask themselves each day how they can make it even better, and strive to do that.

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