Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce Recipe – the best pasta sauce ever! Rich and deep in flavor pasta sauce cooked in a crockpot, served over spaghetti and topped with Parmesan.
SLOW COOKER BOLOGNESE SAUCE
That’s exactly what this is – comfort food at it’s best. This pasta sauce recipe will change your spaghetti game and you will love it! It’s perfect for those days when pasta just seems boring and you need a big bowl of comfort food. We are bringing spaghetti back to our weekly dinner menus with this Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce. A new family favorite! Serve with Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread and you are in for a feast that didn’t take much effort at all.
A steaming bowl of spaghetti with rich, slow cooker bolognese sauce is bound to make your soul and belly happy. Planning a relaxing weekend? This recipe is perfect for it! Minimal prep time and the magic happens in your slow cooker. Yes, please!
HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER BOLOGNESE SAUCE?
- Saute garlic and onion in a skillet for 2 minutes. Add carrots and celery and cook for a few minutes. Place sauteed vegetables in a 5-quart slow cooker.
- In the same skillet, cook beef until no longer pink. Stir in half and half and tomato sauce and cook for about 4 minutes. Pour mixture over vegetables in crockpot.
- Add crushed tomatoes and all of the seasonings to the slow cooker. Stir well.
- Cook sauce on LOW setting for 6 to 8 hours.
Tips for the best Slow Cooker Bolognese sauce:
Don’t let the carrots and celery throw you off. It is quite common for these veggies to be used in pasta sauce by Italian cooks, or so I have been told. I love the sweetness the carrots add to the sauce. The celery blends perfectly with onions and garlic. Oh, feel free to amp up the amount of garlic in this recipe. I used 3 cloves but I love it with 5 cloves even more. That’s a personal preference. I just love garlic in my pasta dishes!
You will notice that after browning the beef (and yes, let it brown until you see little bits at the bottom of the pan – they have a ton of flavor!), I recommend adding 1/2 a cup of half and half and one can of tomato sauce. You can skip them but I think it adds even more flavor and richness to the dish.
More Homemade Sauce recipes:
Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀
The best pasta sauce ever! Rich and deep in flavor pasta sauce cooked in a crockpot, served over spaghetti and topped with Parmesan.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3/4 cup chopped red onion
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 4 oz tomato sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning
In a large saucepan, heat up olive oil. Add garlic and onion. Saute for 2 minutes. Add carrots and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Place sauteed vegetables in a 5 quart slow cooker.
To the same saucepan, add beef and cook until done. Brown over medium heat, stirring often and breaking the meat. Cook until brown bites are visible on the bottom of the pan. Add half and half and cook 2 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates. Add tomato sauce and cook the mixture for 3 minutes. Place in the slow cooker, next to vegetables.
Add crushed tomatoes and seasoning to slow cooker. Stir everything together. Cook on LOW setting for 6 to 8 hours.
Serve over cooked spaghetti or fettuccine pasta. Top with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.
Jeff says
March 5, 2019 at 10:09 amOh yeah, Amp up the garlic on mine!
Des @ Life's Ambrosia says
January 19, 2017 at 2:38 pmMy ultimate comfort food right there!
carrie @ frugal foodie mama says
January 19, 2017 at 9:59 amI just love a good homemade pasta sauce! And bonus points for being made in the slow cooker. 🙂
Lora @savoringitaly says
January 19, 2017 at 6:33 amThere is nothing like a great Bolognese sauce! So nice to enjoy with a bowl of spaghetti and how great that you made it in a slow cooker…I bet your family was excited to know this sauce was what was for dinner!!
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
January 18, 2017 at 6:48 pmI love that the slow cooker will do the work! This is a perfect comfort food for winter!
Erin @ The Speckled Palate says
January 18, 2017 at 4:29 pmThe last time I made a Bolognese, I was a newlywed with tons of time on her hands and could babysit my sauce on the stovetop. Your rendition of the classic is going to be ADORED in my household because it sounds so good! Thanks for sharing this!
Erren says
January 18, 2017 at 12:53 pmI have been blessed with this recipe!