Easy Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce
Serves: 2
Prep: 15 minutes • Cook: 3-4 hours on High/ 6-8 hours on Low in the slow cooker
This slow-cooked bolognese brings out the full depth of our Simply Seasoned Classic Bolognese Blend. Made with smooth passata and cooked low and slow for rich, comforting flavour, it’s an easy, hearty dish perfect for busy days or batch cooking, goes phenomenally well with a nice soft and warm garlic bread as I'm sure you can imagine. Just add pasta and enjoy a true family favourite.
Ingredients
- 500g minced beef
- 1 medium onion
- 2–3 cloves garlic
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 stick celery (optional but reccomended)
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 500–600g tomato passata (half a large bottle or one standard carton)
-
100–200ml beef stock (or a beef stock cube stirred into 200ml of water)
- 2 tbsp Simply Seasoned – Classic Bolognese Blend
- 1–2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional but good)
- Olive oil or butter for browning
- Parmesan (to taste once plated and served)
- Soft cheese or Cream
Method
1. Prepare Aromatics
- Grate with a cheese grater 1 onion, 1 carrot and 1 stick of celery
- Finely dice or mince 2-3 cloves of garlic. (Crush with the flat side of the blade to help with dicing)
- Set aside until next step is completed.
2. Brown the mince
- Brown the beef on medium high heat in a pan with a little oil/butter.
- Transfer to slow cooker with any remaining liquid.
3. Sauté aromatics
- Sauté and combine on a medium onion, carrot, celery in a tiny bit of oil for 3–5 min. (or until it's soft and well combined)
- Add garlic for 1 more min.
- Add tomato purée and cook for 1 minute.
- Transfer to the slow cooker.
4. Build the sauce
Add to slow cooker:
- Passata
- 100–200 ml beef stock (start with 200ml, add more water later if needed)
- Worcestershire sauce (optional)
-
2 tbsp Classic Bolognese Blend
Stir to combine.
5. Slow cook
The longer this is slow cooked, the deeper and richer the flavour can be, I'd reccomend going 6-8 hours on Low Heat, but if you're under time pressure it will still be delicious after 3-4 hours on High Heat. Keep an eye on the sauce level and consistency. Top up with a splash of water and stir to make sure it doesn't dry out or burn.
- Low: 6–8 hours
- High: 3–4 hours
Make sure that you are tasting the sauce when it's nearly completed to see where you're at flavour wise! Just a teaspoon's worth here and there to make sure you're going in the right direction.
If you think it's getting a bit too acidic, (before you add the pasta) you can add some soft cheese or cream to help combat the acidity and mellow out the flavour a little bit. Be careful to do this in small amounts and taste once it's stirred in thoroughly.
6. Prepare Pasta
So, when there is half an hour or so left on the slow cooker, you can now prepare the pasta of your choosing. (I know this step is obvious but I'm putting it in so you don't forget.)
Pro Tips
- Boil your pasta until JUST before it's ready, drain it and add to the slow cooker for the last few minutes to finish off the cooking of the pasta in the sauce.
- If the sauce is too thick near the end, loosen it with a splash of water or stock.
If it’s too thin, just take the lid off for the last 30–40 minutes.
FAQ
Do I have to grate the celery, carrot and onion ?
No, you don't HAVE to. But it does help smoothen the texture of the sauce overall, if you have picky eaters or texture sensitive eaters in your household, it's a great way to sneak in extra veggies and flavour without them noticing.
What’s best to serve with it?
Your pasta of choice, be it spaghetti, penne, fusilli or the tagliatelle, and a nice warm garlic bread.