I so wish I could take credit for this recipe, because it’s by far the best, and the easiest Bolognese I’ve ever made! This recipe comes from my beautiful friend, and former boss, Dana. She used to make it for her kids (who I adore) all the time, and I was lucky enough to get to try it! I was instantly hooked, and I couldn’t use any other Bolognese recipe ever again. That’s why I have to share it with you!
This makes a huge batch of Bolognese, so feel free to either cut the recipe in half, or freeze some of it to use at a later date, which is what I do! This is one of those dishes you just can’t mess up. It’s made in the slow cooker, which does all the work for you, and is pretty much the best invention ever. I use 3lbs of grassfed ground beef, because I love a really meaty sauce, but again, that’s totally up to you! Happy cooking!
Ingredients:
- 1-3 lbs of ground beef (depending how meaty you like your sauce, preferably grassfed)
- 3 – 28oz cans of crushed or diced tomatoes
- 3 – 6oz cans of tomato paste
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 6-8 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- Italian seasoning (enough to cover the top really well, about ¼ cup)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 pork chop or pork bone (optional)
- 1/3 cup fresh basil, torn into small pieces (optional)
Zoodles –
- 3 medium zucchini made into zoodles with either a julienne peeler or spiralizer
Directions:
Sauce –
1. Place the tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, garlic, bay leaves, and pork chop/bone (if using) into your slow cooker. Break the ground beef up with your hands, into large chunks, and add to the slow cooker. Cover the top well with Italian seasoning, salt & pepper. Cook on low for 8-9 hours.
2. Just before you serve, stir in the basil (if using) and taste, adding more seasoning if needed. Break up the meat a bit if you’d like. Remove the bay leaves and pork bone.
Zoodles –
1. During the last half hour of cooking, prepare the zoodles to get the moisture out. No one likes watery pasta! It’s totally up to you, and what you want to do with your zoodles, but I typically prefer the salting method. This gets the moisture out, so that they don’t become a watery mess when heated with the sauce. To do this, place your zoodles on top of paper towels and salt them generously. Set aside for at least 20 minutes, while they release their moisture.
2. Gently squeeze the salted zoodles between dry paper towels, or a clean dishrag, to remove the excess moisture. Pour the sauce over the zoodles and eat up!
** I find that pouring the sauce over the zoodles heats them up enough, but you’re always welcome to sauté them in a pan on the stove until they’re heated to your liking 🙂 Just be sure that you salt and “sweat” them first so you don’t end up with soggy zoodles!
mmmmmm thanks for sharing sweetheart
Thanks so much for checking it out, Meg!! 🙂
I just started eating this way on occasion and I’d never though of using zucchini as noodles. Usually I use spaghetti squash but i’ve been dying to find an alternative. This looks great too with the sauce! YUm!
Thanks, Laura! Zoodles are my absolute favorite! It’s amazing how close it tastes to actual pasta!
to pinterest!
I think you mean that you ‘pinned’ this? I have a pinterest button at the bottom of each recipe in case you’re looking for it 🙂 Hope you love this recipe as much as I do!
You don’t cook the zucchini?
Hi Debbie! Salting the zoodles (zucchini) completely changes the texture of them, so that they’re just like cooked noodles. I find that the sauce heats them up perfectly, but if you’d like you could easily sauté them on the stove for a minute after salting them 🙂
Thanks!! Can’t wait to try it.
Thanks, Debbie! Hope you love it!
Just checking with you if you have a spiraliser to make the zoodles, if it’s easy to clean. I am looking to get either that or a madolin to do all your recipes and wondering about cleaning dish washing proof. Any suggestions would be great. I make the zoodles holdong a peeler , bit I want to go pro! 🙂
I do have a spiralizer, it’s actually my favorite kitchen appliance! It’s super easy to clean and use, I’ve had mine for just about a year now 🙂 Here’s the link to the one that I have – http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade/dp/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1395706214&sr=8-2&keywords=spiralizer
They often go on sale as well for around $20 🙂
Excited to try a new bolognese! Do you just throw the onions in raw? I didn’t see any notes to sauté first. Thanks!
Hi Debra! Yep, just toss everything into the slow cooker raw 🙂 The meat really takes on an amazing flavor, I hope you love it! 🙂
I went for it and threw it in raw! Smells so good in the kitchen. Thanks for all the inspiration (I ordered the Bulletproof BO after your post), education and beautiful pictures!
Thank you, Debra! Love the Brain Octane! 🙂
have you ever tried to add mushrooms to the recipe?
Hi Elenie! I haven’t, but I’m sure it would be amazing! You may want to add them during the last hour of cooking, that way they don’t end up super mushy 😉
Can I do 4 1/2 hours on high?
I’m sure that would work! 4 hours is probably plenty of time 🙂
You throw in the meat raw, but broken up, right? I didn’t see anything about browning it first so hopefully I did that right!
Exactly! Even if you don’t break it up, it’ll cook just fine and will break up easily once you’re ready to eat 🙂
I followed this to a “T” and unfortunately found that the meat was tasteless and not completely cooked. I did 9 hours. I will definitely be going back to sautéing and browning first. I am grateful for instructions on better zoodles, however!