Slow cooker bolognese with big pasta recipe

I really like cooking pasta in my slow cooker, not least because it means less equipment and less washing up. The only trick – and this is a good thing for the carb-conscious – is not to add too much pasta. A cup or so will do nicely.

Serves

4

Timings

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: about 2 hours

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 500g beef mince
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 x 400g tin crushed tomatoes
• 250g cherry tomatoes
• 750ml tomato passata
• 80g rigatoni or other large pasta
• finely grated Parmesan, to serve

Method

1. Heat your slow cooker to high.
2. Put 1 tbsp olive oil into a large frying pan and set over a high heat.
3. Add 1 finely chopped onion, 3 finely chopped garlic cloves, 1 small finely chopped carrot and 1 finely chopped celery stalk, and cook for just a couple of minutes, until the onion has softened a little. 
4. Stir through 500g beef mince, 1 tsp dried oregano and 1 bay leaf, and fry for a few minutes, until the meat is brown. 
5. Stir through the 400g tin of crushed tomatoes, along with 250g cherry tomatoes and 750ml passata.
6. Pour half of the meat sauce into the bowl of the slow cooker.
7. Scatter in 80g pasta, keeping it away from the edges, and pour on the rest of the sauce. Cover and cook for 2 hours, until the sauce is bubbling and the pasta is tender.
8. Serve in bowls, with a grating of Parmesan on top.

Recipe from The Healthy Slow Cooker by Ross Dobson (Murdoch Books, £18.99)