This Crock Pot Pasta Bolognese Sauce Recipe is slowly simmered for a deep and rich flavor, filled with ground beef, sausage and mushrooms.
This super easy Bolognese Sauce is one of my all time favorites because you get maximum flavor with very little effort. In order to pack all that flavor into this sauce, we use some key ingredients.
CrockPot Bolognese Sauce Recipe:
- Start by browning ground beef and Italian Sausage in a skillet with some on ion and garlic.
- Add in some diced mushrooms and continue cooking until the meat mixture is cooked through.
- Transfer the meat mixture to your slow cooker and add the remaining ingredients.
What Is The Difference Between Bolognese Sauce and Spaghetti Sauce?
Technically speaking, Bolognese Sauce is simmered with a white wine and finished with either a heavy cream or half and half to give it an extra rich flavor. Spaghetti Sauce has very similar ingredients, but typically calls for a red wine (or no wine) and no cream is added at the end.
Bolognese Sauce Recipe Variations:
It’s super easy to customize this recipe to your taste, and to make it a little healthier too!
- Try swapping out the Italian Sausage with more ground beef, or using turkey sausage instead!
- Swap out the heavy cream for evaporated milk to save on calories.
- If you’re not a fan of mushrooms you can easily leave them out.
- Bulk the recipe up by adding in diced celery and carrots with the onion.
What Type of Pasta Goes with Bolognese Sauce?
This thick and hearty Bolognese Sauce pairs perfectly with a wider noodle so it can get coated in the pasta sauce.
- In this recipe I used pappardelle noodles, which is a wide egg noodle.
- You can also use a fettuccine noodle or linguine.
- Spaghetti noodles can work in a pinch, but they won’t hold as much of the pasta sauce.
You’re going to love the rich and hearty flavor of this super simple Italian sauce!
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Crock Pot Pasta Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 hot sausage links, removed from casings
- 1 cup diced onion
- 8 oz package button mushrooms, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 3-4 bay leaves
- 1/3 cup heavy cream or evaporated milk
Instructions
- In a large skillet combine ground beef, sausage, onion, and garlic.
- Brown for 2 minutes and add mushrooms. Continue stirring and browning for an additional 5 minutes.
- Drain any fat from the skillet and transfer meat mixture to crock pot.
- Add the diced tomato, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Stir to combine. Taste the sauce and add more salt if desired.
- Add the bay leaves and stir.
- Set to low for 6-8 hours.
- Before serving remove bay leaves and stir in the heavy cream OR evaporated milk. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe
Susan Davies
Struggling to find an equivalent to Italian sausage here in the UK.
Don’t know what I’m looking for really. Is it just pork sausage meat with Italian herbs or does it have some kind of spice?
Veronica
How many ounces of hot sausage is two links? I always use a locally made spicy sausage but it only comes ground up. Would it be about 6 or 8 oz.?
Shawn
You’re good with anything between 6 and 8 oz. 🙂
Stacy
What is the serving size? A cup?
Shawn
Yes, I would say it’s about 1 cup. 🙂
Lynne
I have made this recipe twice now, and it is really, really wonderful. The only change I made was that I used a pound of ground mild Italian sausage with the hamburger. The first time I made it, I used evaporated milk and the second time I used 1/2 and 1/2. This makes a huge amount; my husband and I got 4 meals out of it. Next time I think I’ll freeze 1/2 of the sauce. Oh – and I made it all on the stovetop.
Thank you for sharing such a terrific recipe!
Shawn
So glad you enjoyed it Lynne! We love to freeze it and use it for a later date too! Makes a great easy dinner. 🙂
Lesley Grawe
Amazing!! That is all I can say!! Thank you
Shawn
So glad you enjoyed it Lesley!
Wanda
Use any type of noddles
Gloria
This is my go to bolognese sauce. Perfect every time!
Shimika
Could this be done on stovetop?
Shawn
Definitely. You’ll just want to let it simmer for about an hour to hour and half on low heat.
Cindy Quinn
FYI …
There is a huge difference in a “Crock-Pot”and a ‘Slow Cooker.’ Your pic showed a slow cooker. Crock-Pot cooks all the way around and a slow cooker only cooks from he bottom.
Your recipe is almost exactly like mine but I’ve never put cream o milk in mine…also I use Italian seasoning for a really great flavor.
Shawn
Crock Pot is a brand of Slow Cooker. I’m sure there are some slow cookers that probably only cook from the bottom, but in general, slow cookers do cook all the way around the pot.
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I think I gotta buy a crock-pot as soon as possible, it sounds so easy to make and I can make pasta for my breakfast while I clean house in the morning. Thank you for sharing!!
Terry Z
I love the idea of using non-fat evaporated milk in place of the cream. Do you use that substitution in other dishes? Looking forward to making this sauce. Bolognese is one of my favorites! Thank you.
Shawn
I don’t have any other recipes on the site that use evaporated milk as a substitution, but I have used it in a white sauce with pasta before. 🙂
Laurie
This recipe is good, but a little strange. We thought the spicy sausage was great, but I’m not sure what the point of the evaporated milk is. To reduce acidity? Mine turned out a little watery, and would have been bland if not for the sausage. I may make it again but will use more tomato sauce and fewer diced tomatoes, and will add Italian seasoning.
http://tinyurl.com/primann18373
I appreciate it for writing “Crock Pot Pasta Bolognese
– I Wash You Dry”. I actuallymight surely end up being back again for alot more reading through and commenting here soon enough.
Thanks, Ronda
Wendy
If I wanted to use the heavy cream instead of the evaporated milk, would I still use the same amount? Can’t wait to make this! My mouth is watering…
Shawn
Hi Wendy, yes, you can use the same amount of heavy cream for the evaporated milk! Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Cheryl Williams
Bolognese usually has milk, cream etc
It’s part of the recipe. Makes it more filling and richer.
I guess if you don’t want that you would make a traditional spaghetti sauce!
@Laurie
kelley {mountain mama cooks}
I’m always looking for new slow cooker recipes. This looks awesome. I love the idea of using evaporated milk. I never thought of that! So good and perfect for those crazy nights when it’s hard to get dinner on the table.
Sasha @ The Procrastobaker
Its times like this I really wish I had a crock pot…looks just gorgeous, and has definitely made me want spag bol for dinner tonight!
Shawn
A crock pot is a must have! I think you can get one at WalMart for something like $20. Worth it!
Asiya @ Chocolate and Chillies
Really…only 10 days left of summer vacation??? My son goes back after labour day…but school in Canada finishes at the end of June which is much later than in America.
Pasta looks mouthwatering…really should invest in a crock pot….
Shawn
Yeah, we got out at the end of May, but have several breaks throughout the year. You should get a crock pot, they are wonderful time savers!
Krista
Now why didn’t I think of this!? This is genius and I will be making this once a week…probably. So I have more than 10 days til school starts. Help.
Shawn
Haha, it’ll be ok Krista. Just take it one day at a time! 🙂
Jackie
Hi shawn
Wondered how many cups this crockpot dish makes? I hope to serve 10. ? Please let me know.