Description
Crockpot Sausage Pasta is one of the best easy dinner ideas for busy nights when you want something quick simple and healthy enough to feel good about serving your family. Smoked sausage cooks into a rich tomato sauce while the pasta turns tender and cheesy for a cozy weeknight dinner or meal prep favorite. This easy recipe gives you simple steps big flavor and the best homemade comfort food with very little hands on work.
Ingredients
- 14 ounces smoked sausage
- 12 ounces penne pasta
- 1 small yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
Instructions
- Cut the smoked sausage into thick rounds and slice the onion into thin strips so the pieces cook evenly and stay visible in the finished pasta. The sausage should look firm and glossy while the onion looks crisp and pale with irregular edges and natural size differences for a true homemade start.
- Add the dry penne and sliced sausage and onion into the sauce with the garlic and diced tomatoes and broth and seasonings so everything is loosely spread and only partly settled. At this stage the pasta still looks dry in places while the sausage floats between tomato streaks and the onions sit unevenly through the liquid which creates a clear layered look before cooking.
- As the dish cooks the onion turns tender and translucent while the pasta plumps up and the sauce thickens around the sausage slices. The whole mixture looks deeper in color and more unified with fewer liquid gaps and the sausage pieces settle into the pasta instead of sitting separately which shows the biggest change in the dish so far.
- Add the cream cheese in pieces and fold it through the hot pasta until it melts into the tomato base and changes the sauce from bright red to a softer creamy red. You should still see a few pale streaks at first and then the sauce turns smoother and silkier with the sausage and pasta taking on a richer glossy coating.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan over the top and let them melt into uneven pockets so the surface looks stretchy and lightly glossy with a few slightly browned spots. The finished pasta should look thick and hearty with non uniform color and melted cheese tucked between sausage slices and pasta ridges which gives it that homemade dinner look.
- Spoon a generous portion onto a plate and finish with chopped parsley so the green flecks brighten the deep red sauce and creamy cheese. The final serving should look relaxed and homemade with pasta leaning in different directions and sausage slices peeking through the sauce and cheese instead of sitting in a perfect pattern.
Notes
Pro Tips:
- Use smoked sausage with a firm texture so the slices stay distinct after hours of cooking.
- Tuck most of the dry pasta under the liquid at the start so the top pieces do not dry out.
- Add the cream cheese near the end so the sauce turns creamy instead of looking broken.
- Let the melted cheese sit for a few minutes before serving so the sauce thickens slightly more.
Storage: Let the pasta cool slightly and then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The sauce will thicken as it sits and that makes leftovers especially cozy the next day. Reheat with a splash of broth or water so the sauce loosens back up and turns creamy again. For longer storage you can freeze portions for up to 2 months although the pasta will be a little softer after thawing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving