Description
This Crock Pot Italian Sausage Pasta is a comforting, hearty dish featuring flavorful Italian sausage simmered with a blend of Alfredo and pasta sauces, bell peppers, and onions. Perfectly cooked rigatoni is tossed in the rich sauce and topped with melted mozzarella cheese for a satisfying meal that's easy to prepare in the slow cooker.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce and Seasoning
- 16 ounce bottle Alfredo sauce
- 16 ounce bottle pasta sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Meat and Vegetables
- 5 Italian sausage links
- 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
Pasta and Cheese
- 1 pound rigatoni or small pasta
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
Instructions
- Prepare the Sauce: Add the Alfredo sauce, pasta sauce, and Italian seasoning to the slow cooker. Mix thoroughly until well combined to ensure even seasoning throughout the dish.
- Add Sausage and Vegetables: Place the Italian sausage links along with the sliced green and red bell peppers and yellow onion into the sauce. Toss gently to coat all ingredients with the sauce.
- Cook in Slow Cooker: Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours and 30 minutes or on low for 5 hours until the sausage is fully cooked and vegetables are tender.
- Cook Pasta: While the slow cooker finishes, cook the rigatoni pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Slice Sausage: Carefully remove the cooked sausage links from the slow cooker and slice them into ¼-inch thick rounds for easier mixing and serving.
- Combine Pasta and Sausage with Sauce: Add the sliced sausage and cooked pasta to the slow cooker sauce. Toss well to coat the pasta evenly with the sauce and sausage flavors.
- Add Cheese and Melt: Sprinkle grated mozzarella cheese over the pasta mixture, cover the slow cooker, and cook on low for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese melts gently without overcooking the pasta.
Notes
- Ensure both Alfredo and pasta sauces are mixed thoroughly before adding the sausage for a balanced flavor.
- Keep the pasta separate from the slow cooker while cooking to prevent it from becoming mushy.
- Slice the sausage after cooking to maintain clean, even pieces.
- Melt the cheese gently in the slow cooker to avoid overcooking the pasta texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 580 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 54 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
