Slow Cooker Bolognese

If you want to jazz up spaghetti night, this Slow Cooker Bolognese is the perfect way to make a fancy meal out of regular spaghetti.

Since the first time I tried bolognese, I have been obsessed. It's fancy spaghetti sauce and it's what I was looking for when I started trying to make homemade spaghetti sauce. It's bold, rich, and flavorful. This particular bolognese has a good dry red wine in it - I used a cabernet sauvignon and it went really well with the sauce. The wine adds such a depth to the overall recipe that cannot be done with beef broth.

(Print)
What you need:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 lb. ground beef
• 1 cup red wine (cabernet sauvignon or merlot)
• 2 cans (28 oz. each) crushed tomatoes
• 4 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 3 beef bouillon cubes, crushed
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 lb. spaghetti
• Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, for serving

Directions:

1. Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Then add onion and cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Transfer to crockpot.
2. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil and cook ground beef, crumbling as you go. Transfer to crockpot.
3. Turn heat to medium and bring red wine to a simmer in skillet, scraping off any bits of ground beef left behind. Pour into crockpot.
4. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, crushed bouillon, Worcestershire, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Stir.
5. Cook on LOW for 6 hours.
6. When you're ready to eat, cook spaghetti al dente, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water while draining.
7. Add pasta back to pot and stir in 2 to 3 cups of Bolognese sauce from the crockpot. Add 1/2 cup water and cook on medium high for about 2 minutes.
8. Serve topped with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
9. This sauce freezes well!

Recipe from Spend with Pennies

I can really appreciate taking a simple recipe and adding wine to it. This Chili Tots recipe has red wine in the chili and it is fabulous! This Vegetable Bolognese from Eat Within Your Means has been on my radar for a hot minute and has made its way to my meal plan a few times, but my plans always fall through and I haven't been able to make it yet.

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