Try this Crock Pot Pasta Bolognese recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 hot sausage turkey links removed from casings
- 8 oz package button mushrooms diced
- 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes
- 3-4 bay leaves
- 5 oz fat free evaporated milk
- spaghetti noodles cooked according to package directions
- Carbohydrate 68.8228129604975 g
- Cholesterol 300.50494512 mg
- Fat 46.9602281302088 g
- Fiber 11.3163489185152 g
- Protein 116.055829328749 g
- Saturated Fat 18.8084480216433 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (1407g)
- Sodium 2742.79431237943 mg
- Sugar 57.5064640419823 g
- Trans Fat 6.08683183279132 g
- Calories 1161 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large skillet combine ground beef, turkey 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, salt, and pepper. 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 fat free evaporated milk.
- Serve over prepared noodles with a side salad and crusty bread.
Extended slow-cooker braising breaks down connective tissue in mixed proteins while simultaneous Maillard reactions from the initial skillet browning build deep umami compounds that a purely raw-dump slow-cooker method cannot achieve. When using a compact six-quart slow cooker, ensure your appliance is not filled beyond the two-thirds line to allow proper steam venting and even heat distribution during the six to eight hour cycle on low heat. Browning the ground beef and turkey sausage alongside aromatics requires draining excess fat beforehand to prevent the resulting emulsion from breaking into an oily slick over hours of low-temperature simmering.
Dairy proteins behave unpredictably under prolonged heat, which is why stirring in the five ounces of fat-free evaporated milk only at the very end prevents curdling while delivering the requisite velvety mouthfeel. Evaporated milk undergoes thermal processing that reduces its water content by sixty percent, providing concentrated milk solids that thicken sauces without requiring a roux. Stir this dairy component in immediately after extracting the rigid bay leaves just prior to serving over freshly boiled pasta.
Batch cooking this meat sauce yields exceptional results for future meals because tomato-heavy ragus freeze safely for up to three months when sealed in airtight freezer bags flattened to one inch thick for rapid thawing. Thaw frozen portions overnight in the refrigerator rather than on the counter to prevent bacterial proliferation in the danger zone between forty and one hundred forty degrees Fahrenheit. Reheat thawed portions gently in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, adding two tablespoons of water if the sauce has thickened excessively in storage.
Acidic tomatoes naturally brighten rich meats, but balancing the pH with a tiny pinch of baking soda can neutralize excess sharpness if your canned petite diced tomatoes lean overly tart. Proper storage relies entirely on cooling the sauce to below eighty degrees within two hours of cooking before transferring containers to the refrigerator. Small kitchen operators will appreciate that this entire process utilizes just one skillet, a cutting board, and the slow cooker insert, minimizing cleanup overhead.
