Easy Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce Recipe
Bolognese is a meaty Italian sauce cooked low and slowly to develop intense, rich flavors. Hours on the stovetop are needed to make an authentic spaghetti bolognese sauce. So it’s the perfect dish to make in a slow cooker; set it and forget it. This easy slow cooker spaghetti bolognese sauce recipe will make you look like you spent hours in the kitchen over a hot stove when, in fact, you spent about 15 minutes getting it ready for the slow cooker and had the whole day to enjoy. That’s what makes it such a great weeknight meal.
What Is A Bolognese?
Simply put, a bolognese is a slow-cooked Italian meat-based sauce. Most will have a combination of onions, carrots, and a small amount of tomato sauce. Remember that this meat sauce isn’t like spaghetti sauce, which has a lot more tomato sauce. In addition to the other ingredients, you will usually find ground beef and sometimes ground pork in a bolognese (sometimes even Italian sausage). And it always has milk in the sauce to add richness to the flavors and texture. Bolognese is part of the ragù family (or ragout, a French term).
What You Need For This Recipe
- ​A Slow Cooker: You need a slow cooker to make this bolognese. You could use an Instant Pot, crock pot, or even a Dutch oven if you don’t have a slow cooker to make this hearty bolognese sauce.
- Ground Beef: Some recipes call for a combo of ground beef and pork, but here, we use only lean ground beef.
- Bacon: This is slightly different, but we use bacon instead of ground pork for additional flavor.
- Onions: Yellow onions are an important part of a bolognese sauce.
- Fresh Garlic: A true bolognese recipe does not have garlic, but finely minced garlic cloves add a rich flavor here.
- Tomato Paste: All the best bolognese sauce recipes use a small amount of tomato paste to make it rich and add flavor.
- Milk: Use whole milk; you want the added fat for richness.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese: Use both while cooking the sauce and sprinkle on top when served! If you don’t have Parmigiano-Reggiano, then use traditional parmesan cheese.
- Spaghetti: You can use other pasta, such as tagliatelle or pappardelle, or traditional spaghetti.
Step-By-Step Guide To Making Easy Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce Recipe
- Step 1: Cook the bacon until crispy. I like to do this in the oven, but you can do this in a large skillet or right in the slow cooker insert if it is stovetop-safe. Reserve the bacon fat and set the bacon aside.
- Step 2: Using one tablespoon of the bacon fat, cook the onion for 5-8 minutes until soft. Season with salt and black pepper. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute additional.
- Step 3: Add the ground beef and brown over medium-high heat; this usually takes about 5 minutes.
- Step 4: Stir in the tomato paste, milk, and 1/3 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Add the chopped bacon and stir.
- Step 5: Place the insert back in the slow cooker and set it to low. Cook for 4-5 hours. If you need to remove excess fat, do so when the cooking is complete.
Tips For Success
- Leftover bolognese sauce is often better than the first day. So, if you want to make it ahead of time and serve the next day, that is fine. Also, any leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for a couple or days for another meal.
- You can easily serve this with your favorite pasta noodles; it doesn’t have to be traditional spaghetti. You could even use zucchini noodles if you want.
- This great recipe is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner.
This easy slow-cooker spaghetti bolognese sauce recipe is perfect for those who love rich and flavorful Italian meat-based sauces. You can make a delicious meal to impress your family and friends with a few simple ingredients and a slow cooker. Whether you serve it with—traditional spaghetti or another favorite pasta—this recipe will surely be a hit. And with the bonus of making it ahead of time and enjoying leftovers, it’s also an excellent option for busy weeknights. And you will feel like you are eating a meal cooked by someone’s Italian Grandma!
Looking for other bolognese recipes, check out Best Pappardelle Lamb Bolognese Recipe.
Easy Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Yellow Onion diced
- 3 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 6 oz Bacon Slices
- 2 lb Lean Ground Beef
- 6 oz Tomato Paste
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano grated
- 1 lb Spaghetti
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
Instructions
- Cook bacon either in the oven or on the stovetop until crisp. Reserve bacon fat and crumble the cooked bacon.
- In large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon fat. Add chopped onion, season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Add ground beef and cook over medium-high heat until browned. Breaking apart with a wooden spoon. 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in tomato paster, milk and 1/3 cup of cheese. Add the cooked bacon to the mixture and stir.
- Put mixture into a slow cooker and set to low. Cook for 4-5 hours until the sauce has thickened. Skim fat from the top if needed.
- Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid to use if the sauce needs to be thinned.
- Add the cooked spaghetti to the slow cooker and toss with the sauce. Add cooking liquid if needed. Transfer to individual bowls and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Enjoy!
