Hello friends. Welcome to solsarin. Here today’s discussion is about “Slow Cooker Spag Bol“. Please stay with us until the end of the discussion and then share your idea.
Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the bacon and mince in batches until browned. Add to your slow cooker.
STEP 2
Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato purée, herbs, wine (if using), vinegar, sugar and seasoning to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours, then uncover, turn to High and cook for another hour until thick and saucy.
STEP 3
Serve with cooked spaghetti and grated or shaved parmesan. To cook this entire recipe on the hob, check out our big-batch Bolognese recipe.
350g spaghetti (dried)fresh basil leaves, torn, for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Italian style hard cheese shavings to serve
Method
STEP 1
Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion, carrot, celery and garlic gently for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and fry for 2-3 minutes more.
STEP 2
Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, red wine, dried herbs, tomato ketchup and vegetable stock. Cover and simmer gently for a further 8-10 minutes. Stir in the Quorn mince continue to cook over a low heat while you cook the spaghetti as per pack instructions, season to taste.
STEP 3
Drain the spaghetti, spoon the bolognese sauce over the top and serve, sprinkle with some basil leaves and Parmesan or vegetarian Italian hard cheese shavings.
SLOW COOKER SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE
An easy slow cooker spaghetti bolognese recipe, perfect for busy weekdays or lazy weekends! It’s rich, tender, and oh so tasty!
This super tasty slow cooker spag bol is on a regular rotation in my house! The kids love it, the adults love it, everyone loves it! Therefore it’s a definite win in my book.
Worcestershire Sauce – substitute with half a teaspoon of marmite for the same deep savoury flavour.
Milk – helps tenderise the meat and balances the acidity of the tomatoes.
Herbs – bay leaves and oregano. Fresh or dried!
Salt and pepper for seasoning, and fresh herbs such as basil or parsley for garnish.
Spaghetti – or another long pasta
EQUIPMENT
I use a Morphy Richards 3.5 litre slow cooker (they also do a 6.5-litre capacity one too). The 3.5-litre slow cooker is more than big enough to feed a family of 4-5 people, so this is the one I use on a day to day basis!
You’ll also need a vegetable peeler and chopping board!
TOP TIPS
This recipe doesn’t require browning of the vegetables and minced beef prior to cooking them in the slow cooker. Therefore, it’s best to use very lean minced beef (5% fat) so you don’t get a layer of fat on top of the sauce. You’ll also need to cut your vegetables as small as possible to ensure they become tender and ‘melt’ into the ragu during slow cooking. I use a mini chopper for this!
The minced beef will need to be broken up with a wooden spoon as you mix all of the ingredients together in the slow cooker. Don’t leave any large lumps lingering.
You can use dried or fresh herbs. If you’re using dried herbs, check the best before date! You don’t want to use stale tasting herbs that have been sitting in your cupboard for years.
The sugar is really important in this recipe as it helps to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Don’t skip it!
To thicken the sauce without using cornflour or thickening granules, take the lid off the slow cooker for the last hour of cooking!
FAQS
Should you brown mince before adding to the slow cooker?
When mince cooks it releases fat and water which doesn’t evaporate when cooking in a crock pot, and so would simply sit on top of the sauce. Browning mince first means this liquid can be drained away before cooking. Additionally, the browning process gives the meat texture; raw mince in a slow cooker sauce becomes so soft that it loses structure.
Why is milk added to Bolognese sauce?
Milk is used to tenderise the meat and also to balance the acidity of the tomatoes in bolognese sauce, giving a greater depth of flavour.
Can I cook pasta in the slow cooker?
Yes, you can add the pasta to the bolognese sauce around 30 minutes before the end of cooking. Remember to add a little more liquid as the pasta will absorb some of the sauce during cooking.
What’s the difference between Bolognese sauce and meat sauce?
They are the same thing, bolognese is a sauce of ground beef or veal often combined with pork then cooked low and slow with tomatoes and seasoning. Meat sauce is exactly the same!
How do you store slow cooker Bolognese sauce?
Store the Bolognese sauce in an airtight container and it’ll stay fresh for three days in the fridge, or up to three months in the freezer. Reheat thoroughly before serving.
NOTES
A soffrito is a classic Italian cooking method used for making the base of a variety of sauces, it involves sauteing onion, celery and carrot in oil before adding other ingredients. This creates real depth of flavour in a dish. Ensure that the vegetables are very finely diced (pieces of ½ cm or less ideally) to get the best results and a smooth bolognese sauce.
Cornflour can be replaced with plain flour if required although reduce the quantity to 1 tbsp as wheat flours are heavier and less will be required to thicken the sauce.
Use finely sliced pancetta if possible rather than the cubes as this will melt easily into the sauce and keep it smooth whilst getting the flavour of the cured pork.
Use good quality canned chopped tomatoes as they are a key part of the sauce, the finely chopped variety will help blend the ingredients together and create a smoother ragu.
Some canned tomatoes can have an acidic tang, even after slow cooking for hours, this can be mellowed by adding a little more sugar or a few tablespoons of milk.