Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce (meat or vegetarian!)

Start crockpot spaghetti sauce in the morning and forget about it all day. At dinner time, cook up a big pot of pasta and enjoy an absolutely delicious homemade spaghetti dinner.

If you’re used to spaghetti sauce from a jar, you’re in for a very pleasant surprise. Homemade is so much better! Yeah, yeah, you knew I was going to say that, I know. 

But it’s so true! Sauce from a jar just falls flat in comparison to homemade. There’s a little more work involved with homemade. Obviously, you can’t get much easier than opening a jar although even when I do use sauce from a jar, I find myself adding all sorts of stuff to doctor it up so it tastes better. 

But there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of adding a little bit of this, a little bit of that to the pan and then letting that spaghetti sauce simmer, simmer, simmer while the house fills up with the smell of an Italian restaurant and everyone is just eagerly anticipating dinnertime because they’ve been captivated by that wonderful smell of sauce cooking all. day. long!

Spaghetti sauce is healthy, too, with lots of the antioxidant lycopene. And when you make your own, you know exactly what’s in it, no added preservatives, sodium, or “natural flavor.”

So enjoy! Don’t wait for a special occasion. Make a big crockpot full of spaghetti sauce, invite friends and family, and feast on a homemade spaghetti dinner. Serve it with fresh warm bread and olive oil dipping sauce. A glass of red wine would be very nice, too.

About this crockpot spaghetti sauce:

The recipe for this crockpot spaghetti sauce is very similar to my popular stovetop spaghetti sauce. There are two differences: you make this sauce in your slow cooker and I’ve added meat to the recipe. The advantage of this recipe is that you can make the sauce in the morning (or right after lunch) and forget about while your slow cooker does all the work. 

Not sure what time you’re going to be eating dinner? No problem, the sauce can simmer until you’re ready. Perfect for those days when you’re flying around doing errands, going to games, swimming lessons, or whatever is on your agenda for the day.

What’s in crockpot spaghetti sauce: 

• meat of your choice: ground beef, ground turkey, Italian sausage (or none at all!)
• onion and garlic
• lots of tomatoes: tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes
• sugar — just a hint to balance all the acidity of the tomatoes
• red pepper flakes — for a suggestion of warmth
• dried herbs: oregano, thyme, bay leaf
• fresh herbs: basil and parsley
• butter: little extra richness
• salt, to taste (have you ever noticed how much sodium is in a jar of spaghetti sauce? Whew!)

Can I add red wine to this recipe?

Sure, wine adds another delicious dimension of flavor to your sauce. Use a dry, fruity red wine such as Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Chianti, or Sangiovese, just to name a few. Use a red wine that you would drink but don’t pour in an expensive wine.

Add 1/2 cup to a cup of wine to the pan after the meat has browned and continue to cook until the wine has reduced almost completely. Proceed with the recipe as directed.

How to make slow cooker spaghetti sauce:

It’s easy. You can cook it all day (6-8 hours) on low or just for the afternoon (3-4 hours on high).

Begin the sauce by cooking the meat and onions in a large skillet. Break up any large chunks of meat. Add the garlic, sauté for a minute, then add the tomato paste, stirring and cooking briefly.

Scrape the contents of the skillet into the crockpot, along with all the canned tomatoes, sugar, dried herbs, and red pepper flakes. Cover and simmer until you’re ready for dinner, then stir in fresh chopped basil and parsley, and a pat of butter. That’s it!

How to make this easy spaghetti sauce your own:

• No slow cooker? You can easily make this sauce on the stovetop in a large heavy pan or Dutch oven. You’ll have to give it a stir now and then as it simmers for one to three hours.
• Choose whatever pasta you like best: fettuccini, linguine, pappardelle, rigatoni, penne … 
• Try a gluten-free pasta or zucchini noodles if you prefer, instead of regular pasta.
• Looking for vegetarian spaghetti sauce? Simply omit the meat and proceed with the recipe.
• Like meatballs instead of ground meat? Try these baked turkey meatballs.
• If you’re on a diary-free diet, omit the butter.
• Have a surplus of fresh tomatoes? Peel the tomatoes and use them instead of the crushed tomatoes. If your tomatoes are really juicy, squeeze some of the juice and seeds out before adding them to the sauce.

Make ahead and Reheating Tips

This recipe makes a big batch of sauce! It will keep three to four days in the fridge and it also freezes well. If you’ve made extra, use freezer safe containers to freeze the sauce up to three months for dinners in the future.

Thaw it overnight in the fridge for best results and reheat gently in a saucepan or the crockpot.

Use leftover spaghetti sauce to stuff spaghetti squash for another great dinner. Or try easy baked spaghetti pie from Recipe Girl. 

More Slow Cooker Ideas

Using your crockpot on busy days is such a timesaver. The work is all done in the morning — fix and forget! Try:

 

• Slow Cooker Texas Chili : the best crockpot chili!
• Crockpot Beef Stew
• Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
• CrockPot Cheesy Potatoes
• Crockpot Stuffing Recipe — save precious oven space on Thanksgiving!
• Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup (VIDEO)
• Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese Recipe