Slow Cooker Bolognese
This Slow Cooker Bolognese is the easiest Bolognese sauce you will ever make! No browning and no fuss, simply add all the ingredients in your crockpot and cook until you have a rich sauce.
Servings: 6
Calories: 461kcal
Ingredients
- 680 g (24 oz) passata preferably Passata Rustica (see notes)
- 3 celery ribs , finely chopped
- 2 carrots , finely chopped
- 1 large onion , finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste (tomato purée)
- 1 tbsp beef bouillon or two small beef stock cubes, crumbled
- 1 tbsp brown sugar or granulated sweetener
- 1 tbsp dried oregano or Italian herb mix
- 1 tsp celery salt
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 240 ml (1 cup) red wine or broth
- 100 g (3 ½ oz) cubed pancetta or smoked bacon
- 500 g (just over 1 pound) raw ground beef
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cinnamon stick
- small piece of Parmesan cheese rind (optional)
- Salt and pepper to season
- Grated Parmesan to serve
Instructions
- Add the ingredients in the slow cooker starting with the tomatoes, celery, carrots, onion, tomato paste, beef stock cubes, salt and seasonings. Add the Worcester sauce, vinegar and wine and stir well to combine.
- In goes the pancetta, ground beef and minced garlic. Stir once again, breaking up the meat so that it cooks evenly.
- Add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and parmesan rind, cover and cook on LOW for 8-12 hours or on HIGH for 6 hours. If you can, give the sauce a good stir halfway through.
- Discard the rind, cinnamon and bay leaves. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve with spaghetti or any pasta shape of your choice with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan!
Video
Notes
Freezing Bolognese Sauce
Cool the sauce completely before freezing (or storing in fridge). Put in freezer containers, label and use within 4-6 months but ideally within 3. Defrost overnight in the fridge and make sure the sauce is hot all the way through before serving. Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
Cool the sauce completely before freezing (or storing in fridge). Put in freezer containers, label and use within 4-6 months but ideally within 3. Defrost overnight in the fridge and make sure the sauce is hot all the way through before serving. Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
Nutrition
Calories: 461kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 1457mg | Potassium: 1256mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 4435IU | Vitamin C: 23.3mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 6.4mg
