Go Back

Slow Cooker Sunday Gravy

A deeply flavorful, hands-off Italian-American style meat sauce that simmers low and slow to perfection.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 480

Ingredients
  

Sauce Base
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion finely diced
  • 2 medium carrots finely diced
  • 2 stalks celery finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 0.5 cup dry red wine
  • 2 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
  • 1 6oz can tomato paste
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes optional
  • 1 Parmesan rind optional
For Serving
  • 1.5 lb pasta pappardelle, tagliatelle, or rigatoni
  • freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • fresh basil or parsley chopped

Equipment

  • Large skillet
  • 6-Quart or Larger Slow Cooker
  • Wooden spoon
  • Chef’s knife

Method
 

  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 8-10 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Transfer to slow cooker.
  2. Add ground beef and pork to the same skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, breaking up with a spoon, until well-browned. Transfer meat to the slow cooker with a slotted spoon.
  3. Pour red wine into the hot skillet. Scrape the bottom to deglaze, let it reduce by half (2-3 mins). Pour into the slow cooker.
  4. To the slow cooker, add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, milk, broth, bay leaves, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add Parmesan rind if using.
  5. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours.
  6. 30 minutes before serving, remove lid and take out bay leaves and Parmesan rind. Adjust seasoning and let sauce thicken uncovered if desired.
  7. Cook pasta in salted water. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain. Toss pasta with sauce, adding pasta water as needed. Serve with grated Parmesan and fresh herbs.

Notes

Sauce tastes even better the next day and freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. The Parmesan rind is optional but highly recommended for added umami depth.