This Italian Slow Cooker Sausage Pasta Sauce recipe is an easy way to get a homemade dinner on the table with little hands-on time! There’s just 10 minutes prep and the crockpot does the rest.
Tips and tricks
- You can use a 10oz bag frozen Mirepoix in place of the vegetables the recipe calls for. Defrost before adding to the slow cooker!
- Use lean ground beef or ground turkey in place of the sausages to make the sauce lighter.
- Feel free to use fire-roasted tomatoes for added flavor.
Serving suggestions
I do really enjoy this over spaghetti. But when I have a toddler… I avoid spaghetti like the plague, ha! This sauce is also super delicious with something more small child friendly, such as rigatoni or penne.
You can also use it over zucchini noodles for a lower carb meal.
Freezer instructions
If you want to freeze this sauce, I recommend using a 6-8 quart crockpot to double or triple the recipe.
After cooking, let it cool for 30 minutes before storing in freezer-friendly bags or containers. Label with the name and date and freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat until piping hot all the way through.
More spaghetti
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PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign up for my email list, too!
Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork sausages meat removed from the casings and roughly crumbled
- 1 onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 sticks celery diced
- 2 large carrots diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 (14.5oz) cans diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup peas thawed from frozen
- parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except for the peas to a slow cooker (4-5 quart works best). Stir around well and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Remove the lid and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened to your liking. Stir in the peas and serve hot over pasta topped with Parmesan cheese.
Kayleigh says
I don’t know if you are still replying to this thread as it’s a couple of years old now (and this may be a silly question!) But do you cook your sausages first or put the meat in raw?
Nora says
Hi Kayleigh, it doesn’t really matter, as the sausages are being cooked for such a long amount of time in the slow cooker. If you do brown them, you get a bit of extra caramelization flavors, but if you’re in a hurry you can put them in raw without a problem. Hope that helps!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
This recipe is the perfect excuse for me to pull out and use my slow cooker!
Nora says
You really should! 🙂
Ashley | The Recipe Rebel says
I should not be looking at this at 4:30pm. Now all I want for supper is a giant bowl of pasta! I can’t imagine a life without a slow cooker, and I’m kind of terrified of pressure cookers, so I’m not sure how I’d make it in Switzerland! This looks AMAZING.
Nora says
Haha, I hope you had that giant bowl of pasta – there’s nothing better in my opinion 😉 I’m so glad I’m not the only one who’s afraid of pressure cookers! We could team up in Switzerland and start an anti-pressure-cooker campaign 😀
Annie @ Annie's Noms says
Oooooh this looks so good!! I love my slow cooker so much and am going to have to try this!
Nora says
Thanks Annie! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Chelsea @chelseasmessyapron says
This is brilliant!! It’s so nice to be able to make food in the slow cooker and this looks like an amazing recipe! Pinned 🙂
Nora says
Thank you so much Chelsea! 🙂
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
Nora, your pictures are absolutely gorgeous! I so want to dive into a bowl of this delicious pasta right now. Aren’t slow cookers amazing! I use mine a lot, but it’s especially nice for when the weather gets colder. This sauce looks amazing! I love the combination of sausage and peas!
Nora says
Thank you so much Gayle! Yes, I’ve absolutely fallen in love with my crockpot and I can’t wait for it to get really cold so I can use it all the time (is that weird? 🙂 )
Mary Frances says
This pasta looks divine! I haven’t used slow cooker recipes much in recent years but this post makes me was to dig it out and make something really comforting!
Nora says
Thank you Mary!
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says
You should introduce your Switzerland friends to the crock pot, you’ll be famous! I don’t think I could live without mine. I’m making slow cooker recipes once a week, usually Mondays because…well…it’s a Monday and ew. I’ll be adding this sausage pasta sauce recipe into the rotation!
Nora says
Haha, yes Mondays are… Meh. I should probably give a crockpot to all my friends and family for Christmas 😉 I Hope you’ll like the recipe!
Liz says
Oh my gosh! My crock pot is my best friend! I make so many things in it. From pot roasts to every kind of soup, it is by far my favorite household appliance! I wish the one I had was bigger so I could fit MORE into it!
Nora says
Haha Liz, you should write a crockpot post 😀 I didn’t even know I could make POT ROAST in a crockpot! Wow!
Sarah | Broma Bakery says
Slow cooker anything is alright in my book. And pasta is one of my go-to weekday meals. Will be trying this!
Nora says
Thanks for stopping by Sarah!