Slow Cooked Pasta Sauce with Sausage

I find that on my days off I get a strong urge to turn on my crock pot. Who can't love it when the house fills up with the smells of dinner all day long? This recipe was super easy, and it made for a variety of dishes too. Pasta sauce isn't just for pasta now. :) Of course it is delicious with a steaming bowl of noodles, but apparently it works really well in a panini too. (Check out the picture below!)

Here is that sandwich I threw together. The sausage really adds a great depth and flavor to the sandwich!

Slow Cooked Pasta Sauce with Sausage
Skinny Taste


Ingredients:
1 lb chicken italian sausage, casings removed
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, smashed
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
black pepper

Directions:

1. Brown sausage in a large skillet, breaking up any large pieces with a wooden spoon. When sausage is browned, drain if needed and add to crock pot. 
2. Clean skillet with a paper towel and set burner to high; when hot add oil. Add garlic and cook until golden but DO NOT burn; add tomatoes and garlic to crock pot along with pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
3. If you want, place sauce into a food processor to further break up the chicken. An immersion blender would work perfectly for this. 

Serves 6.

Nutrition: (1/2 cup) Calories 115.4; Fat 3.4g; Carb 9.5g; Fiber 2.2g; Protein 13.8g; Sodium 455.8g