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Slow Cooker Creamy Garlic Beef Pasta

Tender beef and pasta in rich, garlicky cream sauce made effortlessly in your slow cooker for the ultimate comfort food dinner.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Comfort Food
Calories: 485
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef and Base
  • 2 pounds beef chuck roast cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes drained
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
Creamy Sauce
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened and cubed
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
Pasta
  • 12 oz penne pasta or rigatoni
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • additional Parmesan cheese for serving

Equipment

  • Slow cooker
  • Large skillet
  • Mixing bowls
  • Whisk

Method
 

  1. Cut chuck roast into uniform 1-inch cubes and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear beef cubes on all sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to slow cooker.
  3. In same skillet, sauté onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Deglaze with splash of beef broth.
  4. Transfer onion mixture to slow cooker with remaining broth, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
  5. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours, until beef is fork-tender.
  6. 30 minutes before serving, whisk together cream cheese, heavy cream, Parmesan, and tomato paste until smooth.
  7. Stir uncooked pasta and creamy mixture into slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender.
  8. Stir in fresh parsley and adjust seasoning. Let stand 5 minutes before serving with additional Parmesan cheese.

Notes

For best results, don't skip the searing step as it adds crucial flavor depth. Pasta can be substituted with any short pasta shape that holds sauce well.