Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce (Pasta Meat Sauce)
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
25 mins
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Cook Time
8 hrs
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Total Time
8 hrs 25 mins
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Servings
8 -10 servings
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Course
Main Course, Condiments, Lunch
Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce (Pasta Meat Sauce)
Description
This Bolognese Sauce starts by sautéing diced onion, celery, and grated carrots with garlic and parsley in olive oil until softened. Ground beef is browned separately with seasoning, then deglazed with white wine until evaporated to preserve flavor. The sautéed vegetables and cooked beef are combined in a slow cooker.
Milk, canned crushed tomatoes, sugar, and an optional bay leaf are added and the sauce is cooked on low heat for 8 hours or high for 3-4 hours to meld flavors fully. If the sauce is too thin, cooking with the lid off for 30 minutes reduces excess liquid. Final seasoning adjustments balance saltiness.
The result is a rich meat sauce with tender beef chunks blended into a tomato and vegetable base, enhanced by aromatic herbs and acidity balanced by milk. It complements any pasta shape and can be finished with grated Parmesan and additional parsley for garnish.
A practical note is that the recipe accepts canned tomatoes of good quality and does not require specific imported varieties. The slow cooking allows flavors to deepen and achieve a hearty texture perfect for classic Italian pasta dishes.
Ingredients
For the Bolognese Sauce:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 onion finely diced, medium
- 2 celery finely diced, sticks
- 2 carrot grated, medium
- 2 lb ground beef we prefer beef with 15% or 20% fat content
- salt
- black pepper
- 4 garlic minced, cloves
- 1/2 cup parsley plus more to serve, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 cup white wine Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay, dry
- 2 canned crushed tomatoes or canned whole tomatoes, crushed
- 1 cup milk whole
- 1 bay leaf optional
To Serve:
- pasta or your favorite Italian cheese to serve
- parsley
- Parmesan Cheese
What You'll Need:
- Large skillet or dutch oven slow cooker
Instructions
- In a large deep pan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil. Add onion, celery and carrots and sauté until softened (8-10 mins). Add garlic and 1/2 cup parsley and stir 30 seconds or until garlic is fragrant. Transfer to slow cooker.
- In the same pan (without washing it), add ground beef, season with 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and sauté until cooked through and no longer red (6-10 mins). For leaner sauce, you can spoon off and discard excess oil at this point keeping 3 Tbsp oil in the pan. Add 1 cup white wine and sauté on med/high heat until wine has completely evaporated (8-10 mins). Transfer meat to slow cooker.
- Add 1 cup milk, 1 bay leaf, 1 Tbsp sugar, and both cans of tomatoes with juice and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on low 8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. If it it seems too liquidy, let it cook with the lid off for the last 30 minutes.
- Season with more salt to taste (I added nearly 1 tsp more salt). Serve generous amounts of bolognese sauce over your favorite pasta, topped with cheese and garnished with fresh parsley.
Notes
- You can use high-quality canned crushed or whole tomatoes; imported Italian plum tomatoes are preferred but not mandatory.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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