Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese

This Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese is rich, rustic, and unbelievably easy to make. The sauce simmers low and slow, developing deep flavor that clings beautifully to pasta, zucchini noodles, or any vegetables you love. It’s comfort food made simpler.

While a traditional Spaghetti Bolognese recipe on the stovetop is always satisfying, letting the slow cooker take over makes everything even better. With minimal prep and maximum flavor, this slow cooker spaghetti is the kind of meal you’ll want on repeat. If you’ve never tried a slow cooker bolognese sauce, this is the perfect place to start.

Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce, packed with so much flavour to coat your pasta - 1

Why This Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese Works
What Goes Into This Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe
How To Make Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese
Recipe FAQ’s
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe

Why This Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese Works

The only way we make bolognese now is in the slow cooker. This method gives you melt-in-your-mouth tender meat that practically falls apart into the sauce, coating every strand of pasta in rich, slow-simmered flavor. Once you try this recipe, it’s hard to go back.

This is a family favorite that makes enough to feed a crowd or stock your freezer for those no-effort dinner emergencies. Just reheat, boil fresh pasta, and you’ve got a second night of restaurant-worthy Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese or pile the leftovers onto toast for an indulgent twist. No extra cooking required (except maybe boiling water, which barely counts).

What Goes Into This Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe

Overview photo of Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese recipe ingredients including olive oil, onion, ground beef, garlic, beef stock, carrot, red wine, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, pepper, salt, parsley, sugar, beef bouillon, pasta - 2

This Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese is built on layers of flavor from simple, wholesome ingredients. As everything slow cooks together, the sauce becomes rich, hearty, and perfect for coating spaghetti or your favorite pasta.

A few key ingredients that make this spaghetti bolognese recipe shine:

Lean Ground Beef – brings that meaty richness while staying light enough for everyday meals.
Crushed Tomatoes and Tomato Paste – give the sauce depth, body, and a bold tomato flavor.
Red Wine (or beef broth) – adds a hint of acidity and richness. Use whichever you prefer.
Seasoning – A mix of fresh parsley, garlic, onion, and dried herbs like oregano and basil round out the flavor.
Pasta – Of course, don’t forget the spaghetti, cooked fresh before serving to soak up every bit of this slow cooker bolognese sauce.

Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for list of full ingredients and measurements.

How To Make Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese

Ground beef, garlic, onions, and olive oil transferred to a slow cooker. - 3

Sauté Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onions until soft, then add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add ground beef and brown for 2 to 3 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks. Transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker.

Deglaze Pan: Return the same skillet to the heat and pour in the wine or broth. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits. Let it simmer for a minute to release flavor, then pour the liquid directly into the slow cooker with the browned meat.

Crushed tomatoes, beef stock, tomato paste, carrot, stock powder, salt, oregano, basil, sugar, and pepper in the slow cooker. - 5

Add Ingredients: Stir in crushed tomatoes, beef stock, tomato paste, carrot, stock powder, salt, oregano, basil, sugar, and pepper. Combine all ingredients evenly.

Slow Cook Sauce: Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours, until meat is tender and sauce thickened. Stir in fresh parsley just before serving.

Boil Pasta: In the last 15 minutes, boil spaghetti in salted water until al dente. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water for finishing the dish.

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Toss and Serve: Return pasta to the pot and add reserved water and sauce. Toss to coat well. Serve warm with parmesan and extra parsley if desired.

A bowl of Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese is cozy on its own, but it pairs perfectly with a few easy sides to make it a full meal. Our Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread is a no brainer, crisp and golden and made for soaking up every bit of that rich sauce.

You can also serve it with Easy Soft Dinner Rolls for a softer, fluffier option that’s just as satisfying. Add a side of Roasted Cauliflower for something light and flavorful, or toss together a simple green salad to balance out the richness.

Spaghetti is the classic choice, but you can use any pasta that holds sauce well. Tagliatelle, fettuccine, or even rigatoni all work beautifully with this rich, slow-cooked sauce.

Absolutely. If you prefer not to use wine, just substitute it with extra beef broth. You’ll still get a flavorful slow cooker bolognese sauce with great depth.

Yes, feel free to bulk it up with extra veggies. Mushrooms, diced bell peppers, or chopped zucchini can be added along with the carrots for even more flavor and texture.

Karina in a white and black dress with her hair blowing back, standing in front of her cooktop, cooking salmon in a pan - 9

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IngredientsUSMetric1x2x3x

Bolognese Sauce:

▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
▢ 2 onions finely chopped
▢ 4 cloves garlic minced, or 1 tablespoon minced garlic
▢ 2 pounds lean ground beef
▢ 1/2 cup red wine or beef broth/stock – optional
▢ 56 ounces crushed tomatoes 28-ounce cans
▢ 1 cup beef stock
▢ 6 tablespoons tomato paste
▢ 1 large carrot chopped
▢ 1 tablespoon stock powder or crushed beef bouillon
▢ 2-3 teaspoons salt adjust to your taste
▢ 2 teaspoons dried oregano or 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
▢ 2 teaspoons dried basil or 2 teaspoons fresh basil, finely chopped
▢ 1 teaspoon sugar
▢ 1 pinch cracked pepper to taste
▢ 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped

To Serve:

▢ 17 ounces spaghetti dry pasta

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or pan over medium-high heat. Sauté onion until softened. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
Brown beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until just beginning to brown (about 2-3 minutes). Transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker bowl.
Return the skillet to the stove; pour in the wine while scraping any bits of the fried meat from the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer and transfer to the slow cooker bowl.
To the slow cooker bowl, add in the crushed tomatoes, beef stock, tomato paste, carrot, stock powder (or crushed bouillon cubes), salt, oregano, basil, sugar and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. Add in the chopped parsley before serving.
In the last 15 minutes of cooking time, boil pasta in salted water following packet instructions.
Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Pour the reserved water back into the pasta along with 2 cups cooked bolognese sauce. Stir until the sauce is thick enough to coat the pasta.
Serve with parmesan cheese and (extra) chopped parsley, if desired.

Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.