Crock Pot Bolognese

Ingredients for 10 servings:

• 100 g bacon, diced (pancetta)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion(s), finely chopped
• 2 stalk(s) Celery, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 1 kg minced meat, mixed
• 60 ml white wine
• 2 packs of tomatoes, pureed (500g each)
• 3 bay leaves
• e.g. salt and pepper
• 3 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 120 ml cream or milk

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 6 hours; Total time approx. 6 hours 40 minutes

slowly cooked in a slow cooker

Brown the bacon in a large pan for 4-5 minutes, then add the olive oil, onions, carrots, and celery and continue cooking over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Set the vegetables aside. Now reduce the heat to medium-high and add the minced meat to the pan, browning the meat in batches if using a large amount of minced meat. Season with salt and pepper and cook until nicely browned and crumbly. Drain any excess fat, add the vegetables, pour in the white wine, and let it reduce for about 3 minutes. Place the minced meat and vegetable mixture in the slow cooker, then add the two packets of passata, the bay leaves, and a little more salt and pepper. Cover and simmer on low for about 6 hours. Do not remove the lid, as this will cause the pot to lose heat and extend the cooking time considerably. After 6 hours, season the Bolognese with salt and pepper, stir in the cream or milk with the parsley, and serve with your favorite pasta. Tip: I usually prepare the ground beef the night before. Take it out of the fridge in the morning, add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker, and set the time so the Bolognese is ready when I get home. Then all I have to do is quickly cook the pasta, and it’s all done. The two of us always have Bolognese for two days, and I freeze about the same amount. I sometimes use it for a quick lasagna, too.