This Slow Cooker Beef with Pasta and Porcini Mushrooms is just what the doctor ordered on a cold winter night. It is comfort food perfection that is assembled the day before and then braised in your slow cooker, making it an awesome weeknight dinner! It serves a crowd so it also works as an easy entertaining meal!

This was one of the very first recipes I ever shared on the blog, on October 2, 2009. I still make this recipe regularly. It was one my mom made for me when we brought my second daughter home from the hospital. It is adapted from Cold Weather Cooking by Sara Leah Chase. I have updated the images and some of the text today.

The 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 and refrigerate overnight. This allows all those yummy ingredients to mix and mingle and become really good friends.

Then the next day all you have to do is throw it all in your slow cooker and go about your day. When you come home the beef will be so meltingly tender you’ll want to do a little jig. After that just reduce the sauce a bit, toss everything with pasta and sit back and watch your family chow down!

It does make a big batch, so it’s also great for a potluck and I absolutely can’t forget to mention that the leftovers are fabulous. Overall this recipe is a super star!

Check out a few of my other slow cooker favorites…

Slow Cooker Paleo Beef Chili

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Healthy Slow Cooker Beef Burgundy

Slow Cooker White Bean Stew with Chicken and Ham

Slow Cooker Beef with Pasta and Porcini Mushrooms

• Yield: 12 Servings

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Description

This Slow Cooker Beef with Pasta and Porcini Mushrooms is comfort food perfection that is assembled the day before and then braised in your slow cooker, making it an awesome weeknight dinner!

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Ingredients

• 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 ½ 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
• 
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley

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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 filer or cheesecloth.
2. Heat 2 T 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 T 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.
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.

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Notes

2.5 mg Vitamin B12, 5 mg Vitamin C, 294 mg Phosphorous, 0 g Added Sugars

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 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

Here is the original image associated with this blog post.