Crock Pot Bolognese with Buttered Angel Hair Pasta

I found the original recipe for Crock Pot Bolognese at Skinny Taste. I modified it a bit and am VERY happy with how it turned out. It was easy to make and turned out to be a nutritious, filling, delicious meal.  This tasted like one of those home-cooked meals that someone's grandma stood over the stove all day to make. And it is a home-cooked meal... but I didn't stand over the stove (very long AT ALL) to make it!

WP liked it.... not that it's hard to get a toddler to like pasta. But he took bites of it on his own, and that's a win in my book. The husband and I liked it too, and I will definitely make this again. 

The recipe makes a lot of Bolognese sauce, so I will be freezing half for a future dinner - another win!


Speaking of freezing, the recipe calls for red wine. I really think the wine enhances the flavor and is worth adding. Don't worry about the kids, the alcohol cooks out!  I had some red wine in the freezer (I freeze what we don't drink in plastic containers), and I just threw a whole frozen chunk of red wine right into the crock pot.  It melted and blended right in perfectly!
  

WP says "Mom, thanks for making dinner for us!"

Crock Pot Bolognese with Buttered Angel Hair Pasta

· 3 oz pancetta, chopped (or center cut bacon)

· 1 medium yellow onion, minced

· 2 celery stalks (about 3/4 cup), minced

· 2 carrots (about 3/4 cup), minced

· 1 lb ground sirloin

· 1 lb lean ground turkey

· 1/4 cup red wine

· 2 - 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes

· 3 bay leaves

· salt and fresh pepper

· 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

· 1/2 cup half & half cream

· 8 oz angel hair pasta, cooked

· 1 tablespoon butter

· Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a large deep saute pan over medium heat. Sauté pancetta until the fat melts, about 4-5 minutes. Add onions, celery and carrots and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add ground sirloin, ground turkey and saute until browned.

Drain the fat then add the mixture to the crock pot. Add wine, tomatoes, bay leaves, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine, cover and set slow cooker to LOW for 5-6 hours.  

While the sauce cooks, cook the angel hair pasta according to package instructions.  Angel hair pasta typically only takes 4 or 5 minutes to cook. When the pasta is done, drain the pasta water away. Return the pasta to the pot, add 1 tablespoon of butter and stir until the butter melts. Cover until ready to serve.

After 5 or 6 hours of simmering in the crock pot, add half & half and parsley to the Bolognese sauce. Adjust salt and pepper if needed. Serve over Buttered Angel Hair Pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.


Print Recipe Here. 

A whole quart of sauce is going in the freezer for next time!

I hope you enjoy this dinner as much as we did. If you need a good movie to go along with a good dinner: Money Ball. My husband and I watched it as I wrote this post and both loved it. What a GREAT movie.


Love, Lauren