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A close-up of baked penne pasta with tomato sauce and melted cheese in a white slow cooker, with a wooden spoon resting inside.
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Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers With Pasta

This Slow Cooker Sausage & Peppers recipe is a great pasta crockpot meal! Italian sausage, sweet bell peppers, and rich marinara sauce with perfectly al dente pasta, all covered with a decadent cheesy layer. Serve with crusty garlic bread, and you have Italian night!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 15 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 6
Author: Melissa Griffiths

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Italian sausage mild or spicy
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes 28-ounce can
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 8 ounces penne pasta uncooked
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 can tomato sauce 15-ounce can
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Cooking spray for greasing the slow cooker

Instructions

  • Spray the inside of your slow cooker with cooking spray.
  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, onion, and bell peppers until the sausage is browned and cooked through, about 7–9 minutes, breaking up the sausage into pieces as it cooks.
  • Add the garlic and oregano, and cook for 1 additional minute, until fragrant.
  • Stir in the crushed tomatoes, heavy cream, uncooked pasta, salt, and pepper. Mix well to combine.
  • Pour the mixture into the slow cooker. Spread the tomato sauce over the top without stirring.
  • Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours, or until the pasta is tender. (Note: I do not recommend cooking this recipe on low. The pasta needs the high heat to cook properly!)
  • Gently stir the pasta. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a bit of hot water to loosen it to your liking.
  • Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top. Cover and let sit for 5–10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
  • Serve warm, garnished with fresh basil or parsley if desired.

Video

Notes

Slow Cooker Size:  6-quart
Recipe Variations & Substitutions:
  • Use penne, rigatoni, or ziti. These pasta shapes hold up well in the slow cooker and don't turn mushy.
  • Want more heat? Use spicy Italian sausage or add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
  • Make it extra creamy by adding more cream or a dollop of ricotta cheese before serving.
  • You can add lots of of other vegetables to this dish if you'd like. Mushrooms, spinach, and zucchini would all be great additions to this dish. 
High Heat Only: Cooking the pasta for a short time on high helps it to not get mushy. This is not a great recipe to cook longer on low, I don't recommend it. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 6 servings | Calories: 598kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 1502mg | Potassium: 972mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1757IU | Vitamin C: 60mg | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 4mg

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