Crock Pot Italian Sausage With Penne Pasta – mild Italian sausage, onions, peppers, and a savory tomato sauce cooked all day in the crockpot for a warm, delicious dinner that will make you feel like you’ve been transported to a restaurant in the heart of Italy.
One of my favorite things about the winter months is using the cold weather as an excuse to cook practically everything in my slow cooker. This Italian Sausage Penne Pasta recipe is definitely one of my favorites and is a hit with my whole family. It’s very simple to make and requires only a few steps before it’s ready to eat, making it a perfect weeknight meal.
The Italian sausage, peppers, and onions, mixed with the penne pasta and tossed in a seasoned tomato sauce, make the perfect combination for a hearty, filling, and yummy dinner. The spices give this slow cooker pasta dish just the right amount of flavor, and you can never go wrong with melted, gooey mozzarella cheese – yum! The best part? It requires little prep and little cleanup, two definite bonuses in my book!
Why You’ll Love This Crock Pot Italian Sausage Penne Pasta
- It doesn’t require much preparation or cleaning up afterward. Just put it in the crockpot and leave it!
- It’s warm, cheesy, and flavorful – need I say more?
- It’s a hearty, filling meal that everyone in your household will love.
Equipment For Your Crock Pot Italian Sausage Penne Pasta
- Large Skillet
- Crock Pot/ Slow Cooker
Ingredients You’ll Need To Make This Crockpot Italian Sausage Penne Pasta Recipe
- Italian Sausage
- Penne Pasta
- Garlic
- White Onion
- Green Bell Pepper
- Diced Tomatoes
- Tomato Sauce
- Italian Seasoning
- Salt & Black Pepper
- Beef Broth
- Mozzarella Cheese
How to Make Crock Pot Italian Sausage Penne Pasta
- In a large skillet, add Italian sausage and garlic. Cook until the sausage is completely browned.
- Add sausage, onion, green bell pepper, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and beef broth. Stir until well combined.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4.
- 30 minutes before cook time is set to end, add penne pasta and stir until well combined. Cover and cook for the remaining 30 minutes.
- Stir in the shredded mozzarella cheese until melted.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Storing & Reheating Crock Pot Italian Sausage Penne Pasta
While I doubt you’ll have leftovers of this delicious slow cooker Italian sausage and pasta dish, if you do, you can store them in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to two days.
To reheat refrigerated penne pasta bake, preheat the oven to 350 F and bake for about 10 minutes, or until warm.
This dish can also be frozen. Store in a sealed container for up to 4 weeks. To reheat frozen Italian sausage penne pasta, let it thaw completely, then bake it in the oven just as you would the refrigerated leftovers. Keep in mind that the pasta in this dish will have the best texture if served fresh.
Tips For Making the Best Crock Pot Italian Sausage With Penne Pasta
If you want to save time, cook the sausage and chop the peppers and onions in advance. Store them in a sealed bag in the fridge until you’re ready to use them. I like to do this the night before so that in the morning, I only have to throw everything in the crockpot.
Substitutions and Variations
- If you want your penne pasta dish to have a little extra spice, use diced tomatoes with green chiles rather than plain diced tomatoes. If even that is not spicy enough for your tastes, add in some red pepper flakes. You can also use Italian seasoned tomatoes.
- If you are out of penne, you can use another type of pasta, and even spaghetti noodles work well with this dish. You will want to adjust the cooking time according to which type of pasta you end up using. A thicker noodle will take longer, while a thinner will take less time.
- If you can’t find mild Italian sausage, you can use sweet, spicy, or plain.
What To Serve/Pair With Your Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Pasta Recipe
This slow cooker penne pasta pairs perfectly with warm, buttery garlic bread. You can also pair it with a salad with Italian dressing (I like to make mine Olive Garden style!).
My favorite Italian dessert is Tiramisu. Pair that with this Italian Sausage Penne Pasta recipe, and your taste buds will thank you!
Crock Pot Italian Sausage Penne Pasta FAQs
This is totally up to you. Freshly minced garlic definitely has a good flavor in this dish, but I always keep a jar in the fridge just in case. Because this recipe is one that you probably want to make in a hurry and leave it, I’d probably go with the jar.
Sure. I think that the flavors of the beef broth pair well with the flavors of the Italian sausage, but you could also use vegetable broth if that is your preference.
You don’t technically HAVE to line your slow cooker for this penne pasta with sausage recipe, but I almost always line mine to make cleanup a little easier
More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes
- Easy Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie With Biscuits
- Crock Pot Chicken & Rice (With Frozen Veggies!)
- Yummy Crock Pot Fiesta Chicken
- The BEST Crockpot Shredded BBQ Chicken (Pulled Breast Meat)
- Crockpot Pork Carnitas=
Make Sure You Come Back And Let Me Know How Your Crock Pot Italian Sausage and Pasta Turned Out!
Crock Pot Italian Sausage Penne Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage
- 16 ounces uncooked penne pasta
- 3 tsp garlic (minced)
- 1 cup white onion (diced)
- 1 medium green bell pepper (diced)
- 1 (16 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ tsp black pepper
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1½ cups mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet, add Italian sausage and garlic. Cook until the sausage is completely browned.
- Add sausage, onion, green bell pepper, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and beef broth. Stir until well combined.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4.
- 30 minutes before cook time is set to end. Add penne pasta and stir until well combined. Cover and cook for the remaining 30 minutes.
- Stir in the shredded mozzarella cheese until melted.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
- If cooking on high, add pasta in after cooking 2 1/2 hours and cook an additional 30 minutes.
- If cooking on low, add pasta in after 5 1/2 hours and cook an additional 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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I have made many crock pot pasta dishes, and this is by far my favorite. Absolutely delicious 😋 We all devoured it! I am putting this in my rotation.
I love this. I modify it sometimes and add mushrooms or red peppers, but it’s such a great recipe. I love sausage pasta and the beef broth gives it such a nice flavor.