This Slow Cooker Beef and Porcini Mushroom Pasta is just what you’ll crave on a cold winter night. It is comfort food perfection that’s slowly braised in your slow cooker. Serve it for a crockpot meal during the week, for a Sunday Supper or as an entree for entertaining guests.

the pasta with beef in a white bowl on a charger with an orange napkin

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Why We Love Slow Cooker Beef and Porcini Mushroom Pasta

This slow cooker beef and mushrooms recipe is super simple. Just rehydrate the dried mushrooms, sear the beef, quickly sauté the veggies, deglaze with a little wine and then pour all the ingredients over the beef.

The stew will slowly simmer in your crockpot all day and when you come home the beef will be so meltingly tender you’ll want to do a little jig. Overall this recipe is a superstar!

Recipe Highlights

  • It’s the perfect make-ahead recipe.
  • This slow cooker beef and pasta can serve a crowd which means it’s great for entertaining.
  • It requires very little prep work
  • The leftovers are delish

Key Ingredients For This Recipe

  • Boneless Beef Chuck: Beef chuck is a fattier cut of beef with connective tissue that makes it tough. But it is perfect for braising as it gets extremely tender as it cooks at low temperatures.
  • Porcini Mushrooms: Porcini mushrooms are brown-capped mushrooms with thick white stocks. They add a delish savory and umami taste to recipes (and they are the secret ingredient in my veggie stock!) If you can’t find these you could use regular button mushrooms.
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Other Vegetables: garlic, celery, onion, carrot, canned Italian tomatoes
  • Dry Red Wine: This doesn’t have to be fancy. Use any leftover wine or cooking wine you have at home.
  • Seasonings: Salt, ground pepper, bay leaf, dry marjoram, fresh parsley
  • Beef Stock: You could use chicken or vegetable stock but beef is best here.
  • Penne Rigate: Penne is best for soaking up the beef and sauce but you could use any pasta shape you’d like.
  • Parmesan Cheese: You could get pre-grated but I prefer to grate my own.

Step-by-Step Instructions to Make Slow Cooker Beef Chuck with Pasta

Step 1: Soak mushrooms

Place mushrooms in a small bowl; Cover with boiling water and soak for 30 minutes, lift the mushrooms out of the liquid transfer them to a cutting board and chop. Strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter or cheesecloth.

Step 2: Cook beef

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Meanwhile, pat beef dry with paper towels. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt over beef and immediately place in hot oil. Brown beef on all sides, about 6 minutes total. Remove the beef and set in the insert of a large slow cooker.

Step 3: Add vegetables

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet and swirl, then add the celery, garlic, onion, carrot and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often until the vegetables are starting to soften and brown, 3 to 6 minutes. Add wine and reduce for about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in bay leaf, tomatoes, stock, marjoram and the reserved chopped mushrooms and soaking liquid. Pour over the beef.

Step 4: Cook slow cooker beef and porcini mushroom pasta

Cook in the slow cooker on low heat for 6 hours. Transfer the beef to a carving board, and pour the cooking liquid into a skillet to reduce.

Step 5: Break apart beef

Boil the cooking liquid over high heat until very thick, 8 to 14 minutes. Remove the string from the meat. Break the beef into large chunks and discard any fat.

Step 6: Cook pasta

Meanwhile, boil penne in salted water according to package directions until al dente. Combine penne, gravy and chunks of meat. Toss to coat. Adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve sprinkled with parsley and Parmesan.

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side view of the beef and pasta dish on an orange napkin

FAQs and Expert Tips

Storing instructions:

The pasta soaks up the beef flavors as it sits in your fridge, which makes for super flavorful leftovers. You’ll want to eat this slow cooker beef chuck with pasta and mushrooms within a few days or freeze it for up to three months. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge.

Reheating instructions:

If possible, it is better to reheat before mixing with the pasta. The beef can be reheated on the stove, in the oven or microwave.
Because the beef is braised, it reheats really nicely, which means it’s a great make-ahead recipe. Just pop it in the microwave until it is steaming hot.
On the stovetop, reheat the leftovers with a little broth or water over low heat and stir every few minutes to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

To Make Ahead

Prepare the beef and vegetable mixture and combine with the liquids in the slow cooker insert (through step 3.) Cover and refrigerate overnight. Continue with step 4 the next day.

Additional Recipes to Try

At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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This Slow Cooker Beef with Pasta and Porcini Mushrooms is comfort food perfection that is assembled the day before and then cooked in your slow cooker, making it an awesome weeknight dinner! | Healthy Seasonal Recipes | Katie Webster

Slow Cooker Beef and Porcini Mushroom Pasta

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Katie Webster
  • Total Time: 7 hours
  • Yield: 12 Servings 1x
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Description

This Slow Cooker Beef Chuck with Pasta and Porcini Mushrooms is comfort food that is cooked in your slow cooker, making it an awesome weeknight dinner!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 pounds boneless beef chuck, rolled and tied
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 small stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 1 large carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 14–ounce can Italian tomatoes, drained and chopped
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 1 teaspoon dry marjoram
  • 1 pound penne rigate
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. Place mushrooms in a small bowl; Cover with boiling water and soak 30 minutes, lift the mushrooms out of the liquid transfer to a cutting board and chop. Strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter or cheesecloth.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Meanwhile, pat beef dry with paper towels. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt over beef and immediately place in hot oil. Brown beef on all sides, about 6 minutes total. Remove beef and set in the insert of a large slow cooker.
  3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet and swirl. Add celery, garlic, onion, carrot and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are starting to soften and brown, 3 to 6 minutes. Add wine and reduce about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in bay leaf, tomatoes, stock, marjoram and the reserved chopped mushrooms and soaking liquid. Pour over the beef. Cover and refrigerate overnight if desired.
  4. Cook in the slow cooker on low heat for 6 hours. Transfer the beef to a carving board, and pour the cooking liquid into a skillet to reduce.
  5. Boil the cooking liquid over high heat until very thick, 8 to 14 minutes. Remove string from the meat. Break the beef into large chunks and discard any fat.
  6. Meanwhile, boil penne in salted water according to package directions until al dente. Combine penne, gravy and the chunks of meat. Toss to coat. Adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve sprinkled with parsley and Parmesan.

Notes

Cooking Tip: 

The pasta soaks up the beef flavors as it sits in your fridge, which makes for super flavorful leftovers. You’ll want to eat this slow cooker beef chuck with pasta and mushrooms within a few days or freeze it for up to three months. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge.

If possible, it is better to reheat before mixing with the pasta. The beef can be reheated on the stove, in the oven or microwave.

Reheating

For best results if planning to make ahead, only mix pasta with the beef sauce that you are planning to eat. Because the beef is braised, it reheats really nicely on its own, which means it’s a great make-ahead recipe. Just pop it in the microwave until it is steaming hot.
On the stovetop, reheat the leftovers with a little broth or water over low heat and stir every few minutes to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 7 hours 15 minutes
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Slow Cooker
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 3/4 cup
  • Calories: 435
  • Sugar: 2.3 g
  • Sodium: 270 mg
  • Fat: 17 g
  • Saturated Fat: 9 g
  • Carbohydrates: 8.2 g
  • Fiber: 1.5 g
  • Protein: 31 g

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