Slow Cooker Pasta Sauce with great ingredients. Delicious homemade goodness and freezer friendly too!
Slow Cooker Pasta Sauce! This delicious recipe has been generously shared by one of your very first Lovefoodies supporters, Bonnie Price.
This crockpot tomato-based sauce is packed full of flavor, using a variety of fresh herbs in addition to Italian sausage, tomatoes, and garlic.
The flavor matures and becomes richer if kept overnight.
This is an “eyeball it” recipe and Italian grandmas do it all the time (including me) and it’s delicious. All done in the slow cooker, the flavors develop nicely. Serve with pasta, rice or some nice warm bread rolls. You can even use this as a topping over baked potatoes.
It’s really flexible and will freeze well too if you wanted to make batches.
⏲️ Prep time
10 minutes
⏲️ Cook time
6 hours
👪 Serving size
2 – 4 Persons
🍅Ingredients
2 (14.5 oz) cans of crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1/2 can (the crushed tomatoes can) of water
1 pound plus Italian Sausage
a large handful of FRESH chopped basil
a large handful of chopped fresh parsley
1/2 a chopped red bell pepper (green is too bitter)
1/2 a large head of fresh garlic – smash the cloves and take off the skin- give it a couple of “dices” – throw in the pot
fresh ground black pepper over all
salt (to taste)
dried red pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of THYME
1 teaspoon of sugar (cuts the acid)
Note: For the sausage, I like hot -not sweet, as it really adds flavor to your sauce.
🔪 Instructions
1. Throw all the ingredients into the crockpot EXCEPT the Italian sausage and set to LOW.
2. Chop and dice the Italian sausage into 2-inch pieces and brown in a pan.
Add a 1/4 to 1/2 inch of WATER to the sausage and cook on a medium heat.
Do not add any oil. When it’s done – the pan will be brown and dry. Transfer the sausage to the crockpot. Then add about a quarter cup of water to deglaze the pan and then put THAT liquid in the crockpot also.
3. Cook on low for about 6 hours. If at any time you feel the sauce is not thick enough take the lid off the pot for about an hour.
4. This sauce is best eaten the following day, so if you have the time, do as follows, otherwise, you can serve as normal once cooked.
Refrigerate overnight. Next day, around noon, plug in the crockpot on HIGH for about an hour -then adjust to LOW, and let it simmer until dinner time.
💭 Top tips
Serve with any RIBBED pasta, like Penne or mostaccioli (with ribs) it holds the sauce better – and don’t overcook “al dente” please
This is best with grated fresh ROMANO cheese…not Parmesan – and some good crunchy bread for dipping and a bottle of red wine!
You can also freeze the sauce in batches if you wish. Simply follow the instructions at point 4 when you want to serve.
We’d love to hear from you and what you thought of our post. Did you make any changes or add some other goodies? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!
Delicious Pasta Recipes
Here's a great selection of delicious pasta recipes for you to enjoy!
Ground Beef and Spinach Cheesy Pasta Bake. Easy to make and very tasty! Freezer Friendly too
Garlic Meatballs and Pasta is a delicious homemade recipe full of flavor.
Easy Chili Pasta Bake, a great easy recipe and freezer friendly too! Use up your leftover chili and create a new dinner idea
Tasty Chicken, Bacon & Spinach Pasta. Quick and Easy and oh so delicious!
Creamy Garlic Seafood Pasta, a delicious quick and easy meal, with a delicious creamy white wine sauce.
This Celebration Breakfast Casserole is a full breakfast, brunch or supper time dish, loaded with mac n cheese, baby meatballs and bacon, comfort food at its best!
Bacon and Crab Mac n Cheese is a delicious side or main dish, with a rich creamy cheese sauce and amazing flavors from smokey bacon and crabmeat. Really tasty!
Mac N Cheese Party Bites are a great little snack, perfect for parties and snacks. No frying either! Macaroni, cheese, bacon and crabmeat in delicious panko breadcrumbs. YUMMY!
Mac N Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms is so delicious! Easy to make and great for parties or as an appetizer. Baked mushrooms stuffed with a creamy macaroni and cheese filling with bacon too!
Simple Spaghetti Bolognese, an easy dinner using fresh ingredients and full of flavor, with a homemade tomato sauce
Cod with Bacon Pasta is a very quick and easy recipe, with great flavor and that bacon goes so well!
Bacon and Asparagus Pasta Salad is a lovely simple dish, served warm or chilled as a main or side dish. Goes perfect with a BBQ too!
Beef Stroganoff is always a family favourite!
It's quick, easy and flexible so you could use chicken or pork if you preferred.
The sauce is a lovely rich, creamy mouthful of deliciousness and this meal goes wonderfully with rice or pasta.
Chicken, Garlic & Spinach Lasagna, a delicious dinner using fresh ingredients
📋 Recipe
- 2 oz cans of crushed tomatoes 14.5
- 1 can tomato paste
- appr 1/2 can of water the crushed tomatoes can
- 1 pound plus Italian Sausage
- a large handful of FRESH chopped basil
- a large handful of chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 a chopped red bell pepper green is too bitter
- 1/2 cloves a large head of fresh garlic – smash the and take off the skin- give it a couple of “dices” – throw in the pot
- fresh ground black pepper over all
- salt to taste
- dried red pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon of THYME
- teaspoon of sugar cuts the acid
-
Throw all the ingredients in to the crock pot EXCEPT the Italian sausage and set to LOW.
-
Chop and dice the Italian sausage into 2 inch pieces and brown in a pan. Add a 1/4 to 1/2 inch of WATER to the sausage and cook on a medium heat. Do not add any oil. When it’s done – the pan will be brown and dry. Transfer the sausage to the crock pot. Then add about a quarter cup of water to de -glaze the pan and then put THAT liquid in the crock pot also.
-
Cook on low for about 6 hours. If at any time you feel the sauce is not thick enough take the lid off the pot for about an hour.
-
This sauce is best eaten the following day, so if you have the time, do as follows, otherwise you can serve as normal once cooked.
-
Refrigerate over night. Next day, around noon, plug in the crock pot on HIGH for about an hour -than adjust to LOW, and let it simmer until dinner time. Serve with any RIBBED pasta, like Penne or mostaciolli (with ribs) it holds the sauce better – and don’t over cook “al dente” please
-
This is best with grated fresh ROMANO cheese…not Parmesan – and some good crunchy bread for dipping and a bottle of red wine!
-
You can also freeze the sauce in batches if you wish. Simply follow the instructions at point 4 when you want to serve.
nancy says
what size can of crushed tomatoes do you use?
Lovefoodies says
Hi Nancy, the size of each can is 14.5 oz. Apologies for it not being so clear. I’ve updated the ingredients so it shows the size!! Thanks for writing in and please enjoy!