Slow Cooker Beef Bolognese Sauce

This slow cooker Bolognese features tender browned meat in a rich tomato sauce that's slow cooked for hours to build flavor. Toss this hearty sauce with tender pappardelle pasta and top with fresh Parmesan.

4 from 3 votes

This slow cooker Bolognese features tender browned meat in a rich tomato sauce that's slow cooked for hours to build flavor. Toss this hearty sauce with tender pappardelle pasta and top with fresh Parmesan.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 3

Total Time 3 20

Servings servings

Calories 299kcal

Ingredients

1/2 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork or veal
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium sweet onion, finely diced
1 cup finely-diced carrots
1 cup finely-diced celery
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup half and half cream
8.8 oz Pappardelle noodles or other wide pasta
Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

Heat a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground meats and season with salt and pepper. Brown meat over medium-high heat, breaking meat up into pieces until no longer pink. Remove meat with a slotted spoon and transfer to a 4-quart slow cooker.
Add onion, carrot, and celery to pan drippings and cook over medium-high heat 3-5 minutes until onion is translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 additional minute until fragrant.
Pour wine into pan and let simmer 3-5 minutes until wine is slightly reduced. Add vegetable-wine mixture to slow cooker along with whole tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, oregano, and bay leaf. Use a wooden spoon to break up tomatoes a bit.
Cover slow cooker and cook Bolognese sauce on high 2-3 hours or on low 4-5 hours, stirring sauce and breaking up tomatoes occasionally.
When ready to serve, skim any collected grease from the top of sauce, remove bay leaf from sauce, and stir in half and half.
Cook pappardelle noodles in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain noodles and toss into Bolognese sauce until evenly coated. Season Bolognese with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm with Parmesan on top. Enjoy!

Notes

Storing Instructions

Store Bolognese in refrigerator up to 6 days.

Freezing Instructions

Do not add pasta to sauce if freezing. Cool sauce completely, pour into a freezer-safe container leaving 1 inch of open air on top, and freeze sauce up to 2 months. When ready to serve, thaw sauce completely in refrigerator before reheating and proceeding with recipe.

Nutrition