Description
A rich and hearty Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce made with lean ground beef, vegetables, herbs, and tomatoes, slowly simmered to develop deep flavors. Perfect for serving with pasta and topped with parmesan cheese, this recipe requires minimal effort while delivering maximum taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Bacon
- 3 strips of bacon or 50g pancetta, chopped (optional)
- 1 lb extra-lean ground beef
Vegetables
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Tomatoes and Seasonings
- 400g (14oz) canned chopped tomatoes
- 500ml (2 cups) tomato passata or crushed tomatoes
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp salt, divided
Instructions
- Cook the Bacon: In a frying pan over medium heat, cook the chopped pancetta or bacon strips until they become crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.
- Brown the Ground Beef: Using the same frying pan, add the ground beef seasoned with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, breaking it up with a spatula, until fully browned and cooked through.
- Combine Ingredients in Slow Cooker: In the slow cooker pot, add the diced onion, carrots, celery, minced garlic, crispy bacon, canned chopped tomatoes, dried basil, dried oregano, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the browned ground beef. Stir everything thoroughly to mix the ingredients.
- Slow Cook the Sauce: Cover the slow cooker and cook the sauce on the low heat setting for 8 hours, allowing all the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken.
- Adjust Seasoning: After cooking, taste the sauce and add additional salt if needed to suit your preference.
- Serve: Spoon the bolognese sauce over cooked pasta and garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese for a delicious meal.
Notes
- For the best flavor, allow the bolognese to cook slowly to let the ingredients meld together fully.
- Using extra-lean ground beef keeps the sauce flavorful but not greasy.
- You can omit the bacon or pancetta for a lighter version, but it adds a nice smoky depth.
- Serve with your preferred pasta shape, such as tagliatelle, spaghetti, or penne.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 155 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 878 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 41 mg
