It’s no secret… I LOVE Italian food, and I’m a HUGE fan of pasta.
I always order the Jenny pasta dishes, and it’s pretty frequent that I’m trying new Italian dishes here at the house. It’s such comfort food and such a treat, I love finding healthy alternatives to some of the calorie-rich treats of the past. This dish was UNBELIEVABLE, and the perfect sauce to have in the crockpot on a snowy day.
The recipe itself comes from Gina over at Skinnytaste. I’ve looked at this recipe SO MANY TIMES, but I’ve never had the pancetta on hand to make it. The night before the snow rolled in, I made it a point to pick up pancetta and extra lean ground beef. I’m so glad that I did!
Somewhere between a bacon and a ham…. this stuff rocks!
Note: My version of this sauce yielded a different amount of servings than Gina’s, and yours may come out slightly different as well. Always measure out your sauce to be sure you’re eating the calories you’re expecting. I made half of the recipe Gina posted originally and adjusted the nutritional information based upon what my version created.
Crockpot Bolognese Sauce
From Skinnytaste
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
2 oz pancetta, chopped (or center cut bacon)
1/2 large white onion, minced
1 celery stalks (about 3/4 cup), minced
1 carrots (about 3/4 cup), minced
1 lb 95% lean ground beef
2 Tbsp. white wine
1 – 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 bay leaves
salt and fresh pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup half & half cream, fat-free
INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a large deep saute pan sprayed with cooking spray, sauté pancetta on low heat until the fat melts, about 4-5 minutes.
2. Add onions, celery and carrots and cook on medium-low heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Note: To mince the celery, onion, and carrots, I used my food processor to create that finely chopped effect!
3. In a separate pan sprayed with cooking spray, add meat, season with salt and pepper and sauté until browned. Once meat is browned, drain and rinse. Place in a food processor and grind to a fine texture.
4. Add beef to the vegetable mixture. Add wine; cook until it reduces down, about 3-4 minutes.
5. Add meat mixture to crock pot. Add tomatoes, bay leaves, salt and pepper; cover and set slow cooker to LOW 6 hours.
6. After the 6 hours, adjust salt and pepper to taste.
7. Add half and half and parsley.
8. Stir and serve over 2 ox. of your favorite pasta or spaghetti squash.
Per 1/2 cup serving (sauce only):
CAL 183; CARB 12g; FAT 7g; PROT 20g; FIB 2g; WW Points Plus: 5
nothankstocake
nothankstocake
nothankstocake
nothankstocake
Hi, this sounds delicious! Why do you rinse your meat after it is cooked? or did I read that wrong? If you do, dont you lose all the flavors of what you just cooked?
Hi Mellissa! That’s just a habit I have. Something for me to research, I guess… Way back when someone told me to rinse my meat because it rinses off extra oil and makes it even leaner. Totally an optional step, of course!
This looks bangin’!
It’s insane! You know Gina…
Just tried this– YUMMY! First experience with quinoa…
What did you think of the quinoa? It’s a filling alternative to pasta… and honestly, I’d eat a shoe if it was topped in that bolognese…
You are so right! I can’t wait to eat the leftovers…wondering if I could eat it for breakfast! ha!
The quinoa was good with the bolognese- made extra to try on a salad. I think I like it for a nutritious filler-
I have to know… did you eat it for Breakfast?