This Crock Pot Meaty Pasta Sauce is super easy and a lifesaver for busy families! It’s hearty, easy to prep, and the slow cooker does most of the work — a great recipe to prepare on the weekends so that you have less cooking to do during the week!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
- Minimal Hands-On Time: A quick sauté, then the crock pot takes over. There’s nothing better than easy pasta recipes like this one and Crock Pot Veggie Lasagna that basically make themselves.
- Kid-Friendly: This spaghetti meat sauce is packed with familiar flavors and healthy veggies. Looking for an even more veggie packed pasta sauce kids love? Try this Roast Vegetable Pasta Sauce!
- Meal Prep Dream: This pasta sauce recipe makes a big batch, perfect for freezing. I love meal prepping this one on Sundays so I have less to cook during the week.
- Versatile: This meat sauce is great over any pasta, in Lasagna Rolls , or spooned onto Spaghetti Squash Marinara for a low carb alternative.
- Healthy and Hearty: This easy crock pot recipe is full of lean protein and nutrient-rich vegetables to make it a filling and healthy meal!
The Ingredients
- Olive Oil: Helps soften the onions and gives richness to the sauce.
- Onion: Adds a savory base and natural sweetness as it cooks.
- Lean ground beef: Provides protein and hearty flavor. I like to use a 90/10 ratio to reduce the amount of grease in the sauce.
- Tomato Paste: Gives a concentrated tomato flavor and helps thicken the sauce.
- Diced Tomatoes: Adds texture and chunkiness to the sauce.
- Tomato Puree – Creates a smooth, rich tomato base.
- Carrots: Adds natural sweetness and sneaky veggies.
- Red Bell Pepper: Brings a pop of color and mild sweetness.
- Garlic Powder & Onion Powder: Adds depth boosts the flavors in the sauce even more.
- Dried Italian Herbs: A blend of oregano, basil, thyme, and more for classic Italian flavor.
- Bay Leaf: Infuses the sauce with subtle earthy flavor as it simmers.
Variations and Substitutions
- Make it vegetarian: Skip the ground beef and add lentils or chopped mushrooms for a hearty meatless option! Or add both and make this Vegetarian Lentil Mushroom Bolognese!
- Make Ground Turkey Spaghetti Sauce in the Slow Cooker: Lighten things up by swapping the beef for a leaner protein like turkey.
- Add more veggies: Zucchini, spinach, or mushrooms all work well and add even more nutrients.
- Make it spicy: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or use hot Italian sausage for a bit of heat.
How to Make Crock Pot Meaty Pasta Sauce
Step 1: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium sauté pan and sauté onions for 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and 1 teaspoon of salt and sauté for 4 more minutes, breaking apart the meat as it cooks. Add the bell peppers and saute an additional 2-3 minutes.
Step 2: Add the sautéed meat, onions and bell pepper to the crock pot along with the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
Step 3: Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
Step 4: Serve over cooked pasta or use in any recipe that calls for meat sauce.
Recipe Video
Tips and Tricks
- Double the Batch: This meaty pasta sauce freezes like a dream. I always stash a few single or family-size portions in the freezer for those nights when I just can’t deal with cooking. It’ll keep well for up to 3 months—just defrost in your microwave (or over stove top), reheat, and dinner’s done.
- Don’t Skip the Sauté: Browning the beef before tossing it into the crock pot adds so much flavor. If your slow cooker has a sauté function, even better—just cook everything right in the pot, then add the rest of the ingredients.
- Let It Simmer: The longer this sauce cooks, the more delicious it gets. Letting it go low and slow gives you that rich, slow-simmered flavor without standing over the stove all day. It turns into the kind of sauce that clings to any pasta you throw at it—in the best way.
FAQs
Yes! I love doubling this recipe and freezing the extra for a quick weeknight meal down the road. To freeze, allow the sauce to cool completely. Then, transfer to labeled airtight freezer bags or containers and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, defrost in your microwave (or over low heat on your stove), reheat and serve!
I highly recommend browning the beef and onions before adding them to the slow cooker—it adds way more flavor and gives the sauce that rich, savory base. That said, if you’re really short on time, you can technically toss everything into the slow cooker raw and let it all cook together. It’ll still be tasty, just not quite as deep in flavor.
More Easy Slow Cooker Dinner Recipes
This slow cooker spaghetti meat sauce is a must-have in your weeknight recipe rotation! It’s full of flavor and perfect for prepping ahead. Whether you’re feeding a crowd or just looking to stay ahead of the dinner rush, this recipe is a total winner! I’d love to know what you think of this recipe, leave a rating and comment below!
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Crock Pot Meaty Pasta Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup water
- 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 15 ounce can tomato puree
- 1 cup carrots, grated
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced (orange or yellow bell pepper would work too)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium sauté pan and sauté onions for 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and 1 teaspoon of salt and sauté for 4 more minutes, breaking apart the meat as it cooks. Add the bell peppers and saute an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add the sautéed meat, onions and bell pepper to the crock pot along with the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- Serve over cooked pasta or use in any recipe that calls for meat sauce.
Notes
- Double the Batch: This meaty pasta sauce freezes like a dream. I always stash a few single or family-size portions in the freezer for those nights when I just can’t deal with cooking. It’ll keep well for up to 3 months—just defrost in your microwave (or over stove top), reheat, and dinner’s done.
- Don’t Skip the Sauté: Browning the beef before tossing it into the crock pot adds so much flavor. If your slow cooker has a sauté function, even better—just cook everything right in the pot, then add the rest of the ingredients.
- Let It Simmer: The longer this sauce cooks, the more delicious it gets. Letting it go low and slow gives you that rich, slow-simmered flavor without standing over the stove all day. It turns into the kind of sauce that clings to any pasta you throw at it—in the best way.
A big thank-you for this recipe. I make this all the time, my kids just LOVE it. I double the recipe in my slow cooker and always have some on-hand in the freezer. Such a lifesaver on those busy nights.
I have this in my crock pot right now! Yummy! Just wanted to see if it’s possible to make the slow cooker and crock pot recipes searchable by both “crock pot” and “slow cooker”. It took a lot of tries to refind this recipe, and it might be an easier way for others to search your recipes (if it’s possible to use both terms). Happy Holidays!
I’m not exactly sure what strained tomatoes are, but I would imagine they are more watery than pureed tomatoes, so yes that could be contributing to the texture you’re getting. I use 90% – 95% lean meat!
Hi! What is the % lean you use? I used 85% but it looks a little greasy to me. Also, I couldn’t find tomato puree., only strained tomatoes. Is that an ok substitute or is that why it’s a little runny? Should I just add more paste to thicken it up? Thanks so much!
It is a leaf that you can find the in spice aisle at any grocery! It adds tons of flavor to soups and sauces! Here is a Wikipedia article that talks more about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_leaf
What is a bay leaf?
You can, just make sure to use all the liquid!
Can you use plum tomatoes instead of diced?
It’s about 1 cup per serving!
This looks great and is in my crock pot right now 🙂 The recipe says 6 servings, do you know the size of those servings? Are they 1 cup each, etc? Thanks!
You could make chicken or eggplant parmesan and serve it that way! Or make it into a sloppy joe-style sandwich! I bet it would be yummy as a hearty pizza sauce, too!
You suggest serving this atop pasta, but is there anything else you could use it for? I’d love to double this recipe and make it the basis for 2 different weeknight meals.
i always put 1-2 acorn squash in my pasta sauce, gives it a creamy taste
I just made this and it was so good! My 3 yo who never eats carrots gobbled this up. I couldn’t find tomato puree either so I bought a 26.46 oz box of Pomi Strained Tomatoes and used the whole thing. I omitted the tomato paste and water combo to make up for adding the extra liquid. It was nice and thick and there was plenty leftover to freeze for another dinner. Thank you! Please keep the slow cooker recipes coming! I love having done the dishes earlier in the day!
Yes it would work! Ground turkey will have a slightly different texture and flavor since they are different animals, but it’ll work. 🙂
I am trying to cut red meat out from our diet due to my husbands health problems. Would this recipe work if I substituted ground turkey for the beef?