Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce
Total Time
8 hrs 25 mins
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
8 hrs
Rating
4.98 out of 5 stars
(107)
Ingredients
8-10 servings
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 celery sticks, finely diced
- 2 medium carrots, grated
- 2 lb ground beef (we prefer beef with 15% or 20% fat content)
- Salt and black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley, plus more to serve
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay)
- 2 (28 oz each) canned crushed tomatoes (or canned whole tomatoes crushed by hand)*
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 bay leaf, optional
- Pasta and Parmesan (or your favorite Italian cheese) to serve
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Preparation
Step 1
In a large deep pan or dutch oven, heat 1/4 cup olive oil. Add onion, celery, and carrots and sauté until softened (8-10 mins). Add minced garlic and 1/2 cup parsley and stir 30 seconds or until garlic is fragrant. Transfer to a slow cooker.
Step 2
In the same pan (without washing it), add ground beef, season with 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and sauté until cooked through and no longer red (6-10 mins). For a leaner sauce, you can spoon off and discard excess oil at this point keeping 3 Tbsp oil in the pan. Add 1 cup white wine and sauté on med/high heat until wine has completely evaporated (8-10 mins) Transfer to slow cooker.
Step 3
Add 1 cup milk, 1 bay leaf, 1 Tbsp sugar, and both cans of tomatoes with their juice. Stir to combine.
Step 4
Cover and cook on low 8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. If it seems too liquidy, let it cook with the lid off for the last 30 minutes.
Step 5
Season with more salt to taste (I added nearly 1 tsp more salt). Serve generous amounts of bolognese sauce over your favorite pasta, topped with cheese and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.
Step 6
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Chef's notes
I know many chefs esteem Imported Italian whole plum tomatoes, but if you can’t find them in your grocery store (as was the case with me), the best quality you can buy will do!
