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.

Nutriscore Rating: 71/100

Prep Time:15 mins

Cook Time:240 mins

Total Time:255 mins

Servings: 6

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)

Directions

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat.

Step 2

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.

Step 3

Add the carrot and celery to the skillet and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 4

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.

Step 5

Transfer the cooked mixture to a slow cooker.

Step 6

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.

Step 7

Cover the slow cooker and set it to low heat. Cook for 4 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent any sticking.

Step 8

Taste the sauce and adjust salt, black pepper, or sugar as needed. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Step 9

Serve the sauce over your favorite cooked pasta. Garnish with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	(1595.0g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	1737.7

Total Fat 108.9g	0%
Saturated Fat 44.0g	0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.7g
Cholesterol 276.2mg	0%
Sodium 4499.1mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 80.8g	0%
Dietary Fiber 17.7g	0%
Total Sugars 41.2g
Protein 95.2g	0%

Vitamin D 0IU	0%
Calcium 1593.0mg	0%
Iron 13.0mg	0%
Potassium 3461.6mg	0%

*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.

Source of Calories

Fat: 58.2%

Protein: 22.6%

Carbs: 19.2%