Slow Cooker Tomato Pasta Sauce with Italian Sausage
I develop recipes based on what I have on hand when I make them, so if you don't happen to have all the ingredients in my recipe, there's almost always some kind of reasonable and accessible substitute.
For instance - not everyone has fresh parsley on hand all the time (nor do I). A smaller quantity of dried parsley would work in lieu, of course, as would, say, 2 to 3 teaspoons of dried Italian herb mix in lieu of all the herbs I listed.
Some of the ingredient choices were quite deliberate - for instance, ketchup to bring that developed sweetness that's hard to achieve on a low slow cooker setting, fish sauce and Worcestershire to intensify the umami and give the sauce more depth of flavor, and stock to bring more richness, thickness and body than would water.
But if you don't have fish sauce, it's fine to just put a little more salt (like maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of a teaspoon). Even better to throw in a Tablespoon or two of a grated dry cheese like Parm, Romano, Asiago, or Manchego - here's a perfect use for the rinds! All the better to give the sauce the same kind of complexity and depth of flavor you would get from the funk of fermented fish sauce.
So many options I couldn't possibly go into all of them now, but you get the idea...
Slow Cooker Tomato Pasta Sauce with Italian Sausage
I develop recipes based on what I have on hand when I make them, so if you don't happen to have all the ingredients in my recipe, there's almost always some kind of reasonable and accessible substitute.
For instance - not everyone has fresh parsley on hand all the time (nor do I). A smaller quantity of dried parsley would work in lieu, of course, as would, say, 2 to 3 teaspoons of dried Italian herb mix in lieu of all the herbs I listed.
Some of the ingredient choices were quite deliberate - for instance, ketchup to bring that developed sweetness that's hard to achieve on a low slow cooker setting, fish sauce and Worcestershire to intensify the umami and give the sauce more depth of flavor, and stock to bring more richness, thickness and body than would water.
But if you don't have fish sauce, it's fine to just put a little more salt (like maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of a teaspoon). Even better to throw in a Tablespoon or two of a grated dry cheese like Parm, Romano, Asiago, or Manchego - here's a perfect use for the rinds! All the better to give the sauce the same kind of complexity and depth of flavor you would get from the funk of fermented fish sauce.
So many options I couldn't possibly go into all of them now, but you get the idea...
Open in Cookpad AppSteps
- 1
Throw all the ingredients into your slow cooker.
- 2
Give it all a few good stirs.
- 3
Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or high for 4 to 5. It's a good idea to stir occasionally if you can to redistribute the seasonings. About 30 mins before you turn off the cooker is a good time to adjust seasonings so they can absorb - more salt if needed, maybe a pinch or two of sugar if your tomatoes are extra acidic, maybe a dash of Balsamic or extra Worcestershire if your tomatoes aren't tangy enough...
- 4
A warning about high setting - it can get pretty hot depending on volume & surface area. I have an 8.5 quart slow cooker, which means greater surface area and, as a result, a higher heat for the volume. At 4 hrs on high, I could smell the sugars from the tomatoes and ketchup going from caramelized to burnt on the sides. Less likely to happen if you have a smaller capacity cooker.
- 5
As a general rule, the lower the volume and/or the greater the surface area of the cooking vessel, the less the cook time. And there you have it. :)
- 6
Enjoy with pasta of choice.
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