Super Easy Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce
(Vegetarian Version & Instant Pot Option Included)

Photo of completed Super Easy Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce

My crockpot slow cook Bolognese Sauce recipe is flavourful, tasty, thick and the beef is tender as well as juicy over a plate of cooked spaghetti. This is another one of our all time favourites on our dinner menu at home. Absolutely no browning the meat process. Just put everything into the crockpot/instant pot and let them do the job - Sounds easy and good right for your busy schedule? You can make a big batch of bolognese sauce ahead of time and keep them in the freezer. Anytime you crave for spaghetti bolognese dinner, the bolognese sauce is there for you. Forget about buying store bought bolognese sauce from now on. Just make this will do because there is nothing better than homemade bolognese sauce!

Ingredients A - Blend Into Smooth Paste :

  • 1 Canned Crushed Tomatoes (about 28 oz can size)
  • 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
  • 2-3 Tablespoons Granulated White Sugar
  • 1/8 Cup Diced Carrot
  • 1/8 Cup Diced Celery
  • 1/8 Cup Beef Stock/Vegetable Stock
  • 1/8 Cup Water (-/+ adjustable at the end of blending if needed)

Instructions For Ingredients A:

  1. Add all the ingredients A into a blender and blend into a paste( is okay with a few chunks), set aside. You can always make or prepare a big batch ahead of time and keep them in the freezer like what I did. I used my last batch for today’s cooking demo.

Ingredients B:

  • 1/2 White/Brown/Yellow Onion
  • 3 Cloves Fresh Garlic
  • 1 Small / 1/2 Medium Size Tomato

Instructions For Ingredients B:

  1. Roughly chop up the onion and set aside.
  2. Roughly chop up the fresh garlic cloves and set aside.
  3. Dice or cube the fresh tomato. Leave the skin on, set aside.
  4. We will add them all into the crockpot/instant pot later.

Ingredients C:

  • 454 g Lean/Extra Lean Ground Beef or Plant Based Ground Beef
  • 2 Tablespoons Grape Seed Oil
  • 3 Tablespoons Red Wine
  • 1 Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 Tablespoon Coarse Pink Himalayan Salt
  • 1/4-1/2 Teaspoon Dried Chilli Flakes
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Dried Basil Flakes
  • 1/8 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1/8 Teaspoon Italian Herbs
  • 1/8 Teaspoon Dried Parsley Flakes
  • 1-2 Stalks Fresh Cilantro or Parsley (Optional)
  • 1/8 White/ Black Pepper Powder (+/- adjustable)
  • Salt & Sugar to taste at the end (Optional)

Ingredients D:

Instructions

  1. Add grape seed oil into the crockpot/instant pot.
  2. Gently pour in the blended ingredients A into the crockpot/instant pot.
  3. Now add the prepared ingredients B-the chopped onion, garlic and diced/cubed tomato into the crockpot/instant pot.
  4. Next in the crockpot/instant pot, you are going to add dried chilli flakes, dried basil, dried Italian herbs, coarse Himalayan pink salt, dried parsley flakes, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, red wine, & white/black pepper.
  5. Now we are going to add in the ground beef/plant based ground beef into the crockpot/instant pot.
  6. Mix everything and break the ground meat up in the crockpot/instant pot with a spatula or wooden spoon.
  7. Place the fresh Cilantro or Parsley on top and place the crockpot lid on.
  8. If slow cooking with crockpot (my favourite method because this method will give you the best flavourful sauce and tender beef at the end)set the cooking time on “LOW” setting on your crockpot for 7-8 hours. Give it a good stir and adjust salt/sugar according to your taste buds before turning off or turn to “keep warm” setting of your crockpot.
  9. If cooking with an instant pot, you only need to cook for 30 mins or so on “HI” pressure according to your instant pot model setting. **Please refer to your instant pot model setting for sauce as well as “instant pot handling/cooking (before & after) safety procedures”. After you release the steam of your instant pot & open up the lid, give the sauce a good stir and adjust salt/sugar according to your taste buds before you serve it.
  10. Cooking the spaghetti/pasta-Cook the spaghetti/pasta according to the package instructions.
  11. Serve this warm with your cooked spaghetti/pasta and garnish with fresh basil flakes and parmesan cheese !
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Video

Tips & Notes

  1. Replace lean ground beef with plant based meat for the vegetarian version. You can also substitute beef with ground chicken, ground turkey, ground pork or ground veal.
  2. Replace beef stock with vegetable stock or water for the vegetarian version.
  3. Alternatively you can make this bolognese sauce ahead of time and store them in the freezer. Make sure to write down the date for your reference.
  4. Double up the recipe ingredients for a big batch serving or storing.
  5. Add more sugar in this recipe if needed because sometimes all the tomato products that we use here may be a little sour for some. Adjust this before serving or according to your taste preferences. Same with salt, adjust accordingly -/+ .
  6. Fresh Cilantro/ Parsley in the recipe is optional.
  7. You can make this bolognese sauce in a crockpot or instant pot. I prefer to cook this in a crockpot because the slow cooking method will give you a rich flavour and the meat is tender & juicy at the end.
  8. If you are cooking this in an instant pot, please refer to the manufacturing setting, handling as well as before & after safety procedures.
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