Slow Cooker Italian Sausage & Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

Instructions

1. Roast garlic cloves in their skins in a dry skillet over medium-low heat 10-15 minutes until softened and fragrant. Cool slightly and squeeze from skins.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown sausage on all sides about 8-10 minutes. Remove and slice into bite-sized pieces, leaving browned bits in the pan.

   

3. Add green onions, celery, and bell pepper; cook about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste 1-2 minutes until darkened. Add diced tomatoes and cook 5-7 minutes until caramelizing. Stir in roasted garlic and sun-dried tomato pesto for 1 minute.

4. Deglaze with chicken stock, scrape the pan, and simmer 2 minutes.

5. Transfer skillet contents to the crockpot. Add vodka sauce, sausage, broccoli, cauliflower, thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and sweetener. Stir well.

6. Cook on LOW 6-8 hours or HIGH 4-5 hours until vegetables are very tender.

   

7. Remove bay leaves and thyme stems. Blend about half the sauce with an immersion blender, leaving sausage pieces. Adjust seasoning or add another teaspoon sweetener if needed.

8. Cook 1 lb pasta until just al dente; drain without rinsing.

9. Turn crockpot to WARM. Stir in half & half and warm gently about 10 minutes without boiling. Fold in pasta and rest on WARM 10-20 minutes, stirring once or twice.

10. Serve topped with crumbled Cotija and optional Parmesan.