Savory Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients 0/18

Step 1

Combin the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, a cup of red wine, green olives, sea salt, basil, oregano, paprika, and cayenne pepper in your slow cooker. Set it to low so everything can slowly come together while you prep the rest.

Step 2

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Toss in about three-quarters of a cup of sweet onion and cook just until it starts to soften, around 2 minutes. Add a clove of minced garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. Then stir in some fresh parsley and mushrooms, lower the heat, and let it simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the brown sugar and stir until it’s fully dissolved.

Step 3

While that’s simmering, warm up another 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a separate pan over medium heat. Add the remaining onion and the sausage, breaking the meat up as it cooks. Let it brown nicely, which should take about 10 minutes. Season with white pepper and cumin. Pour in another cup of red wine and scrape the pan with a wooden spoon to lift all those tasty browned bits. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes.

Step 4

Now, combine the sausage mixture with the mushroom and parsley skillet and let everything simmer together over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes to let the flavors mingle. Once that’s done, pour this mixture into the slow cooker with the tomato base.

Step 5

Let the sauce cook on low for 8 hours or even overnight. Keep an eye on it, and if it starts to get too thick or sticky on the bottom, add a splash more red wine or some water to keep it from burning. When it’s ready, you’ll have a rich, flavorful sauce perfect for any pasta night.