This meaty slow cooker spaghetti sauce is made with lean ground beef and Italian sausage. The well-seasoned tomato sauce is packed with flavor. This is the perfect pasta sauce to make in the slow cooker. Feel free to customize the sauce with your favorite ingredients.
Recipe Variations
- Meat: Make the sauce with ground turkey instead of beef, or use all beef or all sausage instead of the combination.
- Vegetables: Sauté diced carrots and celery along with the onions to make a Bolognese-style pasta sauce and serve it with fettuccine or tagliatelle.
- Cream: For a richer Bolognese-style sauce, add 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese just before the sauce is ready.
- Herbs: Replace the Italian seasoning with 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon or dried thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon of crumbled dried rosemary.
How to Store
- Refrigerate spaghetti sauce in an airtight container within 2 hours and consume within 3 to 4 days.
- To freeze leftover sauce, transfer it to a resealable freezer bag or container. Label it with the name and date and freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
Elevate your spaghetti game with this meaty slow cooker sauce. Bursting with savory flavors from lean beef and Italian sausage, it’s a pasta lover’s dream.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Sauces, Pasta
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound Italian sausage (bulk or remove from casings)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 14.5-ounce cans tomatoes, diced, undrained
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 2 small bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste, optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, sausage, and Italian seasoning and cook, breaking up and stirring for 7 to 9 minutes until browned and no longer pink; transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add the onions to the same skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened and aromatic. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer; transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add the crushed and diced tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves, sugar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using).
- Cover and cook the sauce on low for 5 to 7 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Check about halfway through and add a splash of broth, red wine, or water if too thick.
- Serve over hot cooked spaghetti.
