Slow Cooker Sausage Pasta with Macaroni and Tomato Sauce

A slow cooker full of tender macaroni, sliced sausage, and tomato sauce is a welcome sight at dinnertime. The sausage adds savory flavor while the sauce cooks, and the pasta turns the whole dish into a satisfying meal you can serve straight from the pot.

The supplied photo shows elbow macaroni and browned sausage slices in a red sauce inside a white slow cooker. It does not include an ingredient list or method. This recipe is developed to match what is visible in the image; its quantities and cooking times are proposed, not taken from an original recipe.

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There is one important technique behind good slow cooker pasta: add the dry macaroni near the end. If it spends hours in the sauce, it can become overly soft. Let the sausage, tomatoes, and seasonings cook together first. Then stir in the pasta and enough hot liquid to cook it, checking frequently until it is tender.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It uses simple ingredients. Precooked smoked sausage, canned tomatoes, pasta, broth, and pantry seasonings make a hearty dinner.
• Most of the cooking is hands-off. Once the sauce is in the slow cooker, you have time to work on the rest of the meal.
• It is family-friendly. Mild tomato sauce and elbow macaroni make the dish easy to serve to a crowd.
• It is flexible at the table. Add Parmesan, parsley, red pepper flakes, or a side salad to individual portions.
• The sausage flavors the sauce. You get a rich-tasting result without building a separate meat sauce on the stovetop.

What Makes This Version Work?

The photo has distinct macaroni pieces rather than pasta that has dissolved into the sauce. To aim for that texture, this recipe cooks the tomato and sausage mixture first and adds pasta only for the final 20–40 minutes on HIGH. Slow cookers vary, so you will begin checking early and use the pasta’s texture to decide when to stop.

This version uses fully cooked smoked sausage. That matters: a package labeled “raw,” “fresh,” or “uncooked” requires different preparation. Read the label before you begin. Slice fully cooked sausage into substantial rounds, as shown in the image, so it remains noticeable among the macaroni.

A combination of crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce gives the pasta a sauce that clings without becoming too thin. The broth is added with the dry macaroni; its job is to provide moisture for the pasta to absorb. You can add a little more hot broth near the end if your slow cooker runs hot or the sauce thickens before the pasta is tender.

Ingredients

Yield: About 6 servings
Slow cooker: 5- to 6-quart capacity
Prep time: About 15 minutes
Initial slow cooking: 2–3 hours on LOW
Pasta cooking: Approximately 20–40 minutes on HIGH

• 14–16 ounces (400–450 g) fully cooked smoked sausage, sliced into ½-inch (1.25 cm) rounds
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (28 ounces/794 g) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (15 ounces/425 g) tomato sauce or plain passata
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, optional
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
• 2 cups (475 ml) hot, low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, plus more if needed
• 2 cups (about 200 g) dry elbow macaroni
• Salt, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, optional, for serving
• Grated Parmesan, optional, for serving

Ingredient Notes

“The ingredients for slow cooker sausage pasta are simple, but the type of sausage and pasta you choose affects the final texture.”

Fully cooked smoked sausage: Kielbasa-style or another fully cooked smoked sausage works well. Choose a flavor you enjoy because it will season the entire sauce. Check the package for cooking and storage instructions, and do not use raw sausage without adjusting the method.

Elbow macaroni: This shape matches the photo and fits neatly among the sausage rounds. Measure it dry. Different brands and shapes can absorb liquid at different rates, so monitor the pasta rather than relying only on the clock.

Crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce: Crushed tomatoes give the sauce some body, while the smooth sauce coats the macaroni. Plain passata can replace the 15-ounce can of tomato sauce if that is easier to find in the UK or Canada.

Broth: Use hot broth when the pasta goes in. Low-sodium broth gives you more control over the final seasoning, since smoked sausage can already be salty.

Salt: Wait until the dish is nearly finished before adding much. Sausage and broth vary considerably in saltiness.