Recipes 5 min read
Slow-Cooker Spaghetti Sauce Recipe for Rich, Hands-Off Flavor
Nothing, but nothing beats homemade spaghetti sauce. This crockpot spaghetti sauce recipe is simple and reliable, so you can enjoy rich, slow-simmered sauce any night of the week. The aroma as it simmers will fill your home and make dinner feel special.
Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce
Store-bought jars are convenient, but they rarely match the depth and warmth of a homemade sauce. Picture coming home to a slow cooker filled with a hearty, well-seasoned sauce—just boil pasta, toast some garlic bread, toss a quick salad, and you have a complete meal.
This slow-cooker approach can change the way you do pasta night. The low, steady simmer develops complex flavors that jarred sauces can’t replicate, and the hands-off method frees you to tackle other tasks while dinner cooks.
Be warned: the scent is irresistible. You may find yourself sneaking tastes while you wait!
Spaghetti Sauce in the Crockpot
Any large slow cooker will do. I prefer a big, simple model—no need for fancy features, just enough capacity to hold the sauce comfortably. If your crockpot is large, this recipe doubles easily, which is great since the sauce takes several hours to cook. Freeze extra portions in meal-sized containers for quick future dinners.
Cooking Pasta Sauce in the Slow Cooker
Ingredients for this easy slow-cooker spaghetti sauce:
- Ground beef
- Italian sausage (bulk or links)
- Onion
- Garlic
- Diced tomatoes (with juice)
- Tomato sauce
- Crushed tomatoes
- Tomato paste
- Bell pepper
- Water
- Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, or fish sauce
- Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt
- MSG (optional)
- Sugar (optional for a sweeter sauce)
- Fresh herbs (optional)
You can mix and match meats: all ground beef, all Italian sausage, or a combination work well. I’ve even used ground turkey with good results. For Italian sausage, choose bulk raw sausage, raw links (cut into coins), or fully cooked links. Raw sausage should be browned with the ground beef; fully cooked links can be added directly to the slow cooker.
Use Worcestershire, soy, or fish sauce to add umami—any will enhance the savory profile. A small pinch of MSG (often sold as Accent) is optional but does boost the savory depth.
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
Start by cooking the ground beef, sausage, onions, and garlic together until there is no pink in the meat. It doesn’t need to be deeply browned—just cooked through. Drain off as much fat as possible.
Transfer the cooked meat to the crockpot and add the remaining ingredients (reserve fresh herbs to add at the end, if using).
Cook on High for about 4 hours or on Low for 6–8 hours. Taste and adjust salt and seasoning before serving. Stir in any fresh herbs just before serving.
Serve the sauce over pasta cooked to al dente according to package directions. Do not add oil to the pasta water, and don’t rinse the pasta after cooking—these steps help the sauce cling to the noodles.
Leftover sauce freezes very well—store in meal-sized portions for easy reheating. For best texture, freeze the sauce by itself and cook fresh pasta when serving.
Family-Friendly Crock Pot Recipes
Crockpot recipes are perfect for busy families: they deliver nourishing, comforting meals with minimal hands-on time. Crockpot spaghetti sauce is just one example—other slow-cooker favorites include pulled pork, honey sesame chicken, and slow-cooker barbacoa.
You can also use your slow cooker for breakfasts, snacks, and drinks, such as granola or mulled apple cider—everything from sweet to savory can be adapted for slow cooking.
Explore options that suit your family’s tastes and schedule: the slow cooker is a versatile tool for stress-free meals any day of the week.
Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ pound Italian sausage bulk or links (See Notes)
- 1 large onion peeled and diced
- 6 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes in juice Use the liquid in the can as well! Fire roasted diced tomatoes are the best choice.
- 24 ounces tomato sauce
- 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1 bell pepper stem and seeds diced
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, Soy Sauce, or Fish Sauce I prefer fish sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or adjust to taste after cooking is finished
- 1/4 teaspoon MSG (like Accent) optional
- 1 teaspoon sugar optional if you prefer sweeter sauce
- 3/4 teaspoon ground or cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons each fresh parsley and basil plus extra for garnish if desired
Instructions
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Cook the ground beef, sausage, onions, and garlic together until no pink remains in the meat. It does not need to be fully brown, just cooked through. Drain as much fat as you possibly can from the mixture.
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Add the cooked meat mixture along with the remaining ingredients (except for optional fresh herbs) to the crock pot.
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Cook on High for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Taste the sauce and adjust salt if needed.
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If using fresh herbs, stir it into the sauce just before serving.
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Serve over pasta prepared to “al dente” according to package instructions. See notes for tips.
Notes
Do not add oil to the pasta cooking water and do not rinse pasta after cooking; these steps help the sauce adhere to the noodles.
Add fresh herbs right before serving for the brightest flavor.
Freeze leftover sauce in meal-sized portions for easy future meals. Do not freeze with pasta for best texture.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition with the exact ingredients you use if needed.
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