Make a batch of this spicy Sausage Ragu in your crockpot – enough sauce for your supper tonight, as well as enough to go in the freezer for future meals.
To begin, brown two pounds of bulk hot Italian sausage in a large skillet.
Meanwhile, dice two onions and two red bell peppers and mince 6 cloves of garlic – set those aside for a moment.
When the sausage is browned, use a slotted spoon to drain and move the sausage to your crockpot. You need to use a larger crockpot – I’m using a 4-1/2-Quart Crockpot.
Pour off most of the sausage drippings, leaving just a couple tablespoons. Sauté the onions, peppers, and garlic in the drippings until they are tender.
Add in your seasonings: a teaspoon each of red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, a tablespoon each of oregano, basil, and parsley. Stir those in and let them cook for just a moment.
Add in a cup of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Stir that in and let it cook until it comes to a gentle boil. Turn off the heat.
Add the skillet contents into the crockpot as well.
Now for the tomatoes. You’ll add in two 28-ounce cans of diced tomatoes (un-drained) and two 15-ounce cans of tomato sauce.
Stir this all together. Cover it and cook on low for 10 hours (or 6 hours on high.)
After the sauce has cooked, take a stick blender and give it a “buzz” until it is the consistency you are looking for. You don’t have to do this, but I have 2 kids who HATE chunks of tomato – and this is how I take care of that. Divide this into meal portions and freeze them for future meals.
Serve with your favorite pasta, Stromboli, or any other way you would like to use Ragu.
Slow Cooker Sausage Ragu
Ingredients
- 2 onions
- 2 red bell peppers
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 lb hot bulk Italian sausage
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 Tb basil
- 1 Tb oregano
- 1 Tb parsley
- 1 c Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2 - 28 ounce cans diced tomatoes
- 2 - 15 ounce cans tomato sauce
Instructions
- To begin, brown the Italian sausage in a large skillet. Meanwhile, dice the onions and bell peppers, then mince the garlic –set those aside for a moment.
- When the sausage is browned, use a slotted spoon to drain and move the sausage to your slow cooker.
- You need to use a larger crockpot – I’m using a 4-1/2-Quart slow cooker.
- Pour off most of the sausage drippings, leaving just a couple tablespoons.
- Sauté the onions, peppers, and garlic in the drippings until they are tender. Add in the red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, oregano, basil, and parsley. Stir those in and let them cook for just a moment. Stir in the wine and let it cook until it comes to a gentle boil. Turn off the heat.
- Add the skillet contents into the slow cooker along with the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir this all together.
- Cover it and cook on low for 10 hours (or 6 hours on high.) After the sauce has cooked, take a stick blender and give it a “buzz” until it is the consistency you are looking for. You don’t have to do this, but I have 2 kids who HATE chunks of tomato – and this is how I take care of that. Divide this into meal portions and freeze them for future meals.
- Serve with your favorite pasta, Stromboli, or any other way you would like to use ragu.
- Enjoy.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is auto-generated and the accuracy is not guaranteed.
Homemade sauce is THE BEST! I’ve never tried it in the crock pot but I bet the flavors really come out being cooked that way… can’t wait to try this!
Not just kids who “hate” chances of tomato in their sauce. Thanks for the idea!
This recipe is awesome! I’ve never made a spaghetti sauce in the crock pot before, but have seen several recipes for it. Maybe this is a sign I should try it soon. :)
Happy Wednesday and thank you for the nice recipe.