This easy flavorful bolognese sauce recipe is made quickly in a slow cooker or crockpot with minimal ingredients. Set it and forget it, and enjoy a delicious dinner any day of the week!
If you own a stovetop-safe slow cooker insert: Place the insert over medium-low heat on the stove. Add the diced bacon. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the bacon is crisp and rendered, about 5 to 7 minutes. Leave one tablespoon of rendered bacon fat in the pan and transfer the remainder to a heat-proof container to reserve and use for other recipes. Add the onion to the pan, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and sauté, stirring often, until they are soft and translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
Note: I highly recommend doing the following step in a separate large cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet before transferring the meat to the slow cooker insert along with the onion bacon mixture – this will brown the meat more effectively and yield greater flavor:
Increase the heat (or place a separate pan with a teaspoon of reserved bacon fat or extra virgin olive oil) to medium-high. Add the ground beef, sprinkle with a teaspoon of kosher salt, and distribute the meat evenly across the pan. Allow the ground beef to caramelize and brown, stirring occasionally, until it is no longer pink.
Place the insert on the slow cooker base. Add the oregano, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, crushed tomatoes, milk, and grated cheese and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low (or alternatively, cook on high for 4 hours) according to the manufacturer’s directions. Stir every couple hours if possible. Season with salt and pepper before serving.
If you do not own a slow cooker with a stovetop-safe insert: Heat a large cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat. Add the diced bacon. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the bacon is crisp and rendered, about 5 to 7 minutes. Leave one tablespoon of rendered bacon fat and transfer the rest to a heatproof container with a spoon (reserve and use as a cooking fat for other recipes). Add the onion, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and sauté, stirring often, until they are soft and translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Transfer the bacon and onion mixture to the slow cooker insert, place on the slow cooker base, and set aside.
Using the same skillet, place the pan over medium-high heat. Add a teaspoon of reserved bacon fat or extra virgin olive oil. Add the ground beef, sprinkle with a teaspoon of kosher salt, and distribute the meat evenly across the pan. Allow the ground beef to caramelize and brown, stirring occasionally, until it is no longer pink. Transfer the beef to the onion mixture in the slow cooker insert. Add the oregano, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, crushed tomatoes, milk, and grated cheese and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low setting (or alternatively, cook on high for 4 hours) according to the manufacturer’s directions. Stir every couple hours if possible. Season with salt and pepper before serving.
Tips for Success:
This recipe yields roughly one quart of bolognese sauce. I highly recommend serving this with a thick long pasta, such as pappardelle (store-bought or homemade) or tagliatelle, as the sauce will cling better. Dried rigatoni or penne are also ideal for meat sauces.