Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese
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Ingredients (17)
- 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 ounces pancetta, diced
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 2 onions, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 6 garlic cloves, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added tomatoes, coarsely chopped and juices reserved
- 3/4 cup tomato paste
Nutritional Information
- Calories464
- Fat23.75g
- Saturated fat8.29g
- Trans fat0.84g
- Carbs23.46g
- Fiber6.51g
- Sugar10.75g
- Protein36.02g
- Cholesterol107.63mg
- Sodium1024.74mg
- Nutritional Analysis per serving (6 servings) Powered by
Tip
How to Pick Ground Beef
The possibilities with ground beef are seemingly endless, though you’ll probably want to pay the most attention to cost and fat content. Naturally, the lower the fat content, the higher the price. A leaner meat; however, may not taste as moist and flavorful, so keep that in mind if you’re making a meal that’s prone to dryness (like meatloaf or hamburgers). Sometimes the extra fat can make or break a dish.
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Next: How to Thaw Ground Beef
Tip
How to Thaw Ground Beef
Like other meats, the best way to thaw ground beef is to leave it in the refrigerator. If you’re in a pinch, take out your frozen meat and place it on a plate under running cold water. A microwave may also work, but it is likely to start cooking your meat, which you’ll want to avoid.
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2 of 2
Next: How to Pick Ground Beef
Real Bolognese (in Italian, ragù alla bolognese) is a pasta sauce all about time and patience—it can take as long as 6 hours to simmer aromatic vegetables, ground meats, wine, milk, and tomatoes into a rich amalgam. You can turn all that carefully attended stovetop production into something more manageable by pulling out the slow cooker. Patience is still a factor (your nonna wouldn’t have it any other way), but the sauce can simmer away on its own, while you go do something else. Our recipe is based on Lori Lange’s Slow Cooker Bolognese. We recommend our garlic bread recipe for dipping.
Instructions
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1Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in the hot water for 30 minutes.
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- 2Drain the mushrooms, but reserve the soaking water for later. Chop the mushrooms into 1-inch pieces and set aside.
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3Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer it to a large slow cooker.
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4In the same skillet, add the beef, onions, celery, and carrots and cook, stirring, until the carrots have softened and the meat is no longer pink, about 8 to 10 minutes.
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- 5Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and chopped mushrooms and cook, constantly stirring for a couple of minutes. Add the wine, stir, and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Add the reserved mushroom liquid.
- 6Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker. Add the tomatoes and their juices as well as the tomato paste and stir well. Cook for 4 hours on high, removing the lid for the last 30 minutes. Alternatively, cook for 8 to 10 hours on low, removing the lid for the last hour.
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7Serve over pasta.
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