Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce
Elevate your pasta dishes to new heights with this homemade Bolognese masterpiece. Easily made in your slow cooker!
I love making pasta sauce. My go-to recipe is usually my Authentic Italian Pasta Sauce but this time I was in the mood to make a Bolognese Sauce.
The main difference between pasta sauce and Bolognese sauce is that the latter typically includes ground meat, onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes and wine.
Ingredient Substitution
You can use fresh oregano and basil instead of the dried. Simply use 1 tablespoon of each if you are going to substitute.
For the Italian Sausage, you can use whatever you prefer. Sweet, Mild or Hot. Make it your own!
Alcohol Warning
Please take into consideration that some of the alcohol in this recipe may not completely burn off and the remains could be of significant concern to recovering alcoholics, parents, and others who have ethical or religious reasons for avoiding alcohol.
If you prefer not to use alcohol, you can use an equal amount of tomato juice or even water. Your Call!
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Bolognese Sauce recipe in your Slow Cooker. For ingredient amounts please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Italian Sausage – sweet, mild or hot
- Garlic Cloves – minced
- Celery Sticks – finely diced
- Carrots – finely diced
- White Onion – finely diced
- Diced Tomatoes – with juices!
- Tomato Paste
- White Sugar
- Fresh Oregano – or 1 tablespoon of fresh oregano
- Fresh Basil – or 1 tablespoon of fresh basil
- Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- Dry White Wine – like a good Pinot Gris
- Parmesan Cheese
How to Make Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce
- In a large skillet, brown the lean ground beef and sausage breaking it up while it cooks.
- After about 5 minutes, add the onions, carrots and celery. Cook until the onion is just tender and the beef and sausage are no longer pink. Drain any excess fat.
- Transfer the ground meat mixture to the slow cooker. Add all the remaining ingredients.
- Cover and cook on low for 5 to 7 hours.
- You can serve immediately by adding in the Parmesan cheese just before serving.
- You can also ladle the sauce into sterilized jars and seal them for future use.
Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce
Equipment
- Skillet
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 lb Lean Ground Beef
- ½ lb Italian Sausage, removed from casing
- 4 Garlic Cloves, crushed
- 2 Celery Sticks, diced
- 2 Carrots, diced
- 1 White Onion, diced
- 28 oz Diced Tomatoes
- 12 oz Tomato Paste
- 1 Tsp White Sugar
- 1 Tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 Tsp Fresh Basil
- 1 Tsp Salt
- ¼ Tsp Ground Black Pepper
- ½ Cup Dry White Wine, Pinot noir or Merlot
- ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown the lean ground beef and sausage breaking it up while it cooks.
- After about 5 minutes, add the onions, carrots and celery. Cook until the onion is just tender and the beef and sausage are no longer pink. Drain any excess fat.
- Transfer the ground meat mixture to the slow cooker. Add all the remaining ingredients.
- Cover and cook on low for 5 to 7 hours.
- You can serve immediately by adding in the Parmesan cheese just before serving.
- You can also ladle the sauce into sterilized jars and sealing them for future use.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for this recipe is based on 1 serving. This information is an estimate and may vary based on several factors. If nutritional information is important to you and your diet, please verify this recipe with a Registered Dietitian.
This bolognese sauce was very flavorful. I love using my slow cooker so this recipe was a great one to try.