Slow Cooker Beef Bolognese

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat (you may need to work in batches for 8 servings). Add carrots, onion, celery, thyme, garlic, and a pinch of chili flakes from your pantry if desired. Cook, stirring, until just softened, 2-3 minutes. Add beef and cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until lightly browned, 3-4 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir to coat.

Transfer beef mixture to 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add crushed tomatoes, stock concentrates, 1½ cups water (2 cups for 8 servings), 1½ tsp salt (3 tsp for 8), and pepper. Stir to combine. Cover slow cooker with lid and cook on high, stirring occasionally, 4-5 hours.

During the last 20 minutes of cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once water is boiling, add linguine and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water (2 cups for 8 servings), then drain.

When ready to serve, add drained linguine and 2 TBSP butter (4 TBSP for 8 servings) to slow cooker with bolognese; toss to combine. If needed, stir in reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time until pasta is thoroughly coated in sauce. Taste and season with salt if desired.