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This Slow Cooker Saucy Sunday Bolognese Pasta is best for Sunday nights, but easy enough for any weeknight. Slow cooked Italian Bolognese sauce with a mix of spicy meat, vegetables, tomatoes, herbs, and rich red wine. Serve this sauce over rigatoni pasta and top with homemade parmesan breadcrumbs. All it needs is a side of crusty bread for mopping up all that sauce. You simply can’t go wrong with this hearty Sunday Bolognese. Added bonus? You can make this in the Instant Pot or simmer on the stove.
Another October Monday, another easy slow cooker dinner that’s cozy and delicious. Last week I shared my healthier take on a slow cooker creamy tortellini vegetable soup. This week…we’ve got something a little cozier and heartier.
Both are equally delicious and equally great for fall (or Sunday nights). But if you’re in the mood for rich, saucy pasta, this is your recipe. It’s classic, but yet updated and even made with a few healthy swaps as well. But most importantly? It’s just really delicious, stick to your bones, feel-good kind of comfort food.
As we head deeper and deeper into fall I’m really leaning into the slow cooked meals that are easy, hearty, and delicious. Enter this Sunday Sauce. Also known as the sauce you can make on a Sunday, but then enjoy leftovers throughout the week.
Growing up, I didn’t know what a Sunday sauce was. This wasn’t something my mom made or a recipe passed down through the family. No, this is a sauce I somehow created a few years back because it sounded really comforting to me. The sauce I made years ago, I simply called Crockpot Sunday Sauce. It’s made with short ribs, and it’s delicious.
It’s that sauce that inspired today’s “Sunday sauce”. This sauce is made Bolognese style with a mix of ground meat, vegetables, and rich red wine. It is the easiest to throw together, but yet it’s so full of hearty, slow cooked, Italian flavors.
I’ve been excited to share the recipe for days!
Making this Sunday Bolognese is easy. You can make it one of three ways. Slow cook all day in your slow cooker, simmer all day on the stove, or speed up the process and cook in the Instant Pot. I prefer the slow cooker, but either method yields a delicious sauce.
Let’s walk through the slow cooker steps.
Just like any slow cooker meat-based recipe, start out by browning the meat. It’s a bit of an annoying step, but one that is needed to achieve the best flavor. For the meat, I love using a mix of lean ground beef or chicken and spicy ground Italian chicken sausage. The sausage is not traditional, but I find it really adds so much flavor since it’s made with garlic, herbs, and spices.
Cook the bacon, then add the meat and onion. Once everything is browned, simply transfer to the bowl of your slow cooker.
If you have a newer slow cooker that has the ability to sear meats, that’s awesome. You should definitely use that function!
Once the meat has been added, add all the remaining ingredients, give the sauce a good stir, then cook low and slow all day long.
Nothing is better than the smells that will be coming from your kitchen, like nothing. That’s why this sauce is so perfect for Sunday. Simply throw it together in the morning and go off and enjoy your Sunday. Then come home to a house that smells like your Italian grandma was there cooking all day.
It’s the best most warming welcome home.
Make those breadcrumbs and find yourself a really good loaf of bread too. Yes, you need both.
The breadcrumbs are made with sourdough, fresh oregano, and plenty of parmesan cheese. While these breadcrumbs may seem simple, they add texture to the pasta and a nice cheesy crunchy bite.
So. Very. Delicious.
And finally, the pasta. For whatever reason, I love a big rigatoni noodle for this sauce, but any pasta works. So use what you or your family love most.
And that’s it – you’re ready to serve. Just be sure to top each plate with those breadcrumbs and chunks of rustic bread for mopping up all that sauce. Delicious.
Of course not! You can make this tonight or any night of the week.
Here is my suggestion though. Make this for Sunday night dinner along with my favorite beer bread. This recipe feeds a lot, probably way more than you need, so chances are you’ll have leftovers. And those leftovers…they are amazing. Maybe even better than the “fresh” sauce because the longer this sits, the more time the flavors have to develop.
You can serve throughout the week with pasta or over mashed potatoes. Or, freeze the leftover sauce and enjoy it in a month or so. That way, when the holiday craze hits, you’ll have dinner ready at the drop of a hat. It’s always nice to have a cozy “Sunday” meal on hand during the busy holiday months!
Looking for other hearty Sunday recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Healthier 30 Minute Beer Braised Chicken
30 Minute Coq au Vin Chicken Meatballs with Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes
Lastly, if you make this Slow Cooker Saucy Sunday Bolognese Pasta be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
I noticed there’s a cheese rind in one of the pictures but it’s not in the recipe? Should I add at the beginning ?
Hey Kelly,
You can add a cheese rind to the sauce if you want! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made this two weekends ago and it was delicious! Froze the leftovers and then used them today with the lasagna roll ups. Soooooooo good! Thank you!
Hey Mari,
I am absolutely delighted that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for making it! Have the best week☀️ xTieghan
Made this, and it was great!
Hey Julie,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Have the best weekend☀️ xTieghan
Hi! I am making this on Monday! What bread would you recommend serving it with? You said crusty bread so I am guessing your garlic pull apart breads may not be the best? Thats what I had in mind but wanted to see what you thought. I’ve made your beer bread before and while i LOVE it, I think it may not be quite right for pasta!? But I’m not the professional! You are! Looking forward to your thoughts.
Hey Jen,
I think the garlic pull apart bread would be fantastic! I hope you love the recipe:) xTieghan
This is my new favorite easy Italian dish. I’ve made it in slow cooker and on the stove. Both were amazing and made delicious leftovers. The rigatoni is a must! My husband and I love to top it with ricotta cheese. Make this ASAP!!! Comforting and hearty dish.
Hey Kali,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a go! I am thrilled it was enjoyed. xTieghan
I really wanted to love this but I think there was too much basil and oregano. I would cut down by at least half. otherwise i feel like it would have been a great recipe.
Hey Donna,
So sorry you did not enjoy, thanks for giving the recipe a try! xTieghan
What would be the best substitute wine for the Sangiovese? I have Cabernet, Pinot Noir and Merlot.
Also, does it make a huge difference if we use Italian store bought breadcrumbs?
Thank you!
Hey Carol,
I would use Cabernet and totally fine to use store bought breadcrumbs. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was delicious! Loved the breadcrumbs don’t skip this step!
Hey Anglea,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Happy Valentine’s Day❤️ xTieghan
This meal is simple, delicious and will WOW your dinner guests. I’ve never been to Italy, but I swear this recipe transported me there, even just in my imagination.
Hey Kelsey,
Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a go, I am so delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
It’s a rainy cold day here in Arizona, a perfect Sunday for this recipe and it did not disappoint! We loved it and I can’t wait to serve it to our Italian friends, the breadcrumbs put it over the top, I love the little extra touches you add. This is the second recipe of yours that I’ve made in a week and I’m already earmarking future recipes.
Thanks Tieghan!
Hey Natalie,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have the best week. xTieghan
This was absolutely delicious! So flavor packed!! I shared with my daughter and she texted immediately saying “restaurant worthy!” I have loved all the recipes I have tried and look forward to trying many more.
Hey Colleen,
Thank you so much for making the recipe. I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This dish was absolutely delicious. I shared with my daughter and she texted immediately saying it was “restaurant worthy!” Love all of your recipes I have tried.
Hey Colleen,
Thank you so much for making the recipe. I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I make this one in the slow cooker, doubling the quantities to freeze some for a quick last minute use dinner if needed. It is such a delicious meat sauce – I often use it to make lasagna and always get the biggest compliments about it!
Hey Anso,
Thank you so very much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Made this a few weeks ago in my slow cooker, and it is terrific! Had lots left over, so I froze it for later. Well, it appears later has already passed, as we ate the last container of it this week! I also froze the breadcrumbs/parmesan mixture and it was also great!
The only thing I did different was to substitute the chicken sausage with pork sausage, then drain the excess fat before it went into the slow cooker.
Hey Mary,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Easy, tasty, comforting, delicious, belly warming! I halved the recipe using 1 lb beef and beef stock instead of wine. Thank you for inspiring me to try new recipes, cooking methods, and having fun in the kitchen!
Thank you for trying this one Thy!! I am really glad it turned out so well for you! xTieghan