Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce is going to be on my Sunday Sauce rotation from now on! Hearty, flavorful and lean, this is a dish that makes everyone happy!
My Mother-in-Law is Italian, which means my husband grew up on a very steady diet of pasta and “gravy”. When we got married I quickly learned that Sunday Sauce was a whole thing in his world… so of course, I wanted to be part of his tradition. (I actually included the recipe that we make in our house, that originated in his mother’s kitchen in my book!) Unfortunately as my kids have gotten older, our Sundays have gone from lazy, lounge days to full blown travel sports days. It’s the season of life I am in right now.
So, my answer to Sunday Sauce on days when I don’t have a few hours to spend at home is this Slow Cooker Bolognese. You can prep it in the morning before sports, church, work, school… and then when you come home, not only will the house smell amazing, but you will have a healthy (and delicious) dinner waiting for you!
How to Make Bolognese Sauce in the Slow Cooker
The base of this bolognese recipe is a mixture of onion, carrots, celery, and pancetta (I actually used bacon, but of course pancetta is leaner). I added a little garlic in too…why not, right?
Go ahead and cook your pancetta (or bacon) until the fat renders. Then sauté your vegetables to soften them up. I sautéed my veggies in the bacon grease, but as the recipe is written you will be using pancetta, which isn’t as fatty…so you will need to add 1 tablespoon of butter. Either way it will be great!
Once the veggies are soft add in lean ground beef and cook that, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Next add some white wine, and cook until it reduces slightly…and then of course crushed tomatoes. Place a few Bay Leaves into the sauce and then cover to cook on high heat for 3-4 hours.
When it’s done it will look like this…
Add in a little half and half to add to its richness and then dig in!
Of course you can serve it over pasta…
With some Parmesan cheese, of course!
This is good on zucchini noodles as well as spaghetti squash for a great low carb option!
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Author:Cookies & Cups
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:4 hours
Total Time:4 hours 15 minutes
Yield:serves 15 1x
Category:Sauce
Method:Slow Cooker
Cuisine:Dinner
Rate
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Description
This easy Bolognese Sauce is made right in the slow cooker!
Ingredients
Scale
1/4 pound pancetta, chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large white onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 (28- ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Instructions
Heat a large, deep, nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. (Alternately if your slow cooker has a saute setting you can do these steps using that feature.) Add the pancetta and cook, stirring until the fat renders, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the butter, onion, celery, and carrots and cook until soft, 6 to 8 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium-high, add the garlic and ground beef, and season it with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, and pepper to taste.
Cook, using a wooden spoon to break the meat into small pieces as it browns, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the wine and cook 3 to 4 minutes to reduce slightly.
Transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, and more pepper to taste.
Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or on low heat for 6 to 8 hours. Discard bay leaves.
Stir in half and half, and parsley and serve.
Notes
Slight adaptations I made: * I used bacon instead of pancetta and omitted the butter, using the bacon grease to saute the vegetables. *I added 1 teaspoon basil, 1 teaspoon oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper when I added the tomato sauce.
The best tip for intensifying the flavour of your sauce is just to cook it slowly on a low heat for a long time. This reduces the sauce and intensifies the flavours – four hours is not uncommon for my bolognese.
If your slow cooker Bolognese sauce seems watery, you can thicken it in one of two ways. The first method involves allowing the sauce to simmer and reduce. It's easiest to do that on a stove top. You can also add a cornstarch slurry to the sauce to thicken it.
One of the best ways to make use of tomato paste is to treat it as a natural thickening agent for tomato-based sauces, says Arturo. In addition to helping to alter the consistency of your sauce, this pantry staple will also help to further enhance the rich, savory flavors of tomato sauce.
According to our Food Director Amira, not only does milk add a rich flavour to the bolognese, but it also “helps cut through the acidity of the tomatoes and red wine”. She adds: “It also makes the mince meat nice and tender, creating that melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness.”
The reason for sprinkling a pinch of sugar into a simmering saucepan of tomatoes is simple: sugar cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and creates an overall more balanced sauce. The exact acid levels in tomatoes can vary quite a bit depending on whether they're fresh or canned, the tomato variety, and the time of year.
Drain grease. Add all remaining sauce ingredients EXCEPT fresh basil and heavy cream and bring to a simmer (add dried basil at this time if using). Simmer uncovered over low heat for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally until reduced and thickened to desired consistency.
Cornstarch: Make a slurry of half water, half cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Cornstarch is a powerful thickener, so start by whisking in no more than 1 tablespoon of the mixture per 2 cups of simmering sauce; stir and simmer for 2 minutes, check the thickness, and repeat with more slurry as needed.
Put the oil, butter and chopped onion in the pot and turn the heat on to medium. Cook and stir the onion until it has become translucent, then add the chopped celery and carrot. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring vegetables to coat them well. Add ground beef, a large pinch of salt and a few grindings of pepper.
Usually no. But putting (a very small bit) of sugar or even a tiny pinch of baking soda in the tomato sauce can help if it is too acidic, but this is only done if the person cooking it is really in a rush.
A note on garlic: Classic Bolognese sauce does not contain garlic. In many Italian pasta recipe, the garlic debate rages on—some like to use it, some don't and say it's blasphemy to do so. Me? I do add garlic to my Bolognese because I think it adds an extra flavor dimension I really enjoy.
Add more tomato paste or tomato sauce: To thicken a sauce made with fresh tomatoes, use a tablespoon or two of canned tomato paste or one fourteen-ounce can of tomato sauce. Both add deep tomato flavor and help to thicken the sauce slightly. Continue to reduce after either addition.
Cornstarch: Make a slurry of half water, half cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Cornstarch is a powerful thickener, so start by whisking in no more than 1 tablespoon of the mixture per 2 cups of simmering sauce; stir and simmer for 2 minutes, check the thickness, and repeat with more slurry as needed.
As you're stirring your sauce, add in about a half cup of grated cheese to the mix. Stir to emulsify, and let simmer on the stove for a few minutes. Repeat this process as many times as necessary, or until you've reached the desired thicker consistency.
If you want to cheat, make a cornflour slurry (cornflour in cold water) with a couple of teaspoons of cornflour to a tablespoon of water and stir it through the sauce. Then heat to a gentle simmer and cook for at least 10 minutes longer.
Introduction: My name is Lidia Grady, I am a thankful, fine, glamorous, lucky, lively, pleasant, shiny person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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