Slow Cooked Pasta Sauce
Transform your pasta nights with this rich and hearty Slow Cooked Pasta Sauce, a recipe that combines simplicity with unbeatable depth of flavor. Crafted with a medley of fresh ingredients like sautéed onions, garlic, carrots, and celery, this sauce is gently simmered to perfection in a slow cooker for four hours, allowing the flavors to meld beautifully. Customizable with ground beef or pork and a splash of red wine for added richness, it’s perfectly balanced with aromatic herbs, a hint of sugar, and a touch of heat from optional red pepper flakes. Serve it over your favorite pasta and finish with fresh parsley and Parmesan for a comforting, restaurant-quality meal that’s sure to impress. Perfect for busy weeknights or leisurely weekends, this versatile and freezer-friendly sauce is destined to become a family favorite.
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 medium celery stalk
- 0.5 pounds ground beef or ground pork (optional)
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 0.5 cups red wine (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 0.25 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)
- 0.5 cups grated Parmesan cheese (optional, for serving)
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat.
Finely chop the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Add the onion and garlic to the skillet and sauté until softened and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.
Add the carrot and celery to the skillet and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
If using ground beef or pork, add it to the pan. Cook until browned, breaking it into small pieces with a spatula, about 5-7 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
Transfer the cooked mixture to a slow cooker.
Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine (if using), dried oregano, dried basil, crushed red pepper flakes (if using), bay leaf, sugar, salt, and black pepper to the slow cooker. Stir well to combine.
Cover the slow cooker and set it to low heat. Cook for 4 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent any sticking.
Taste the sauce and adjust salt, black pepper, or sugar as needed. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
Serve the sauce over your favorite cooked pasta. Garnish with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
254 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 15.4 g | 20% | |
| Saturated Fat | 5.6 g | 28% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.0 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 41 mg | 14% | |
| Sodium | 539 mg | 23% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 14.9 g | 5% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.8 g | 10% | |
| Total Sugars | 8.5 g | ||
| Protein | 12.8 g | 26% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.1 mcg | 1% | |
| Calcium | 162 mg | 12% | |
| Iron | 2.1 mg | 11% | |
| Potassium | 663 mg | 14% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
