Slow Cooker Farfalle Comfort
Some nights you dread dinner before you even start. That’s how this recipe ended up in my kitchen. I was in front of the pantry, tired, hungry, and out of ideas. I had a box of farfalle, some sausage in the fridge and a half bag of mozzarella that had to be saved. It ain’t no fun. No plans. I almost took out my phone and ordered takeout, but thought I’d at least try throwing everything in the slow-cooker first.
A few hours later the whole house was warm and creamy with that rich sausage-and-garlic smell that makes everybody hungry all at once. Then people started drifting into the kitchen asking what’s cooking like they hadn’t ignored me 20 minutes ago.
The pasta soaked up all the flavor from the broth and sausage, and the cheese made it creamy without being too heavy. To be honest, that was the kind of dinner you want after a long day when your brain is fried and you need something warm in a bowl.
I make this recipe a lot now because it doesn’t ask much of me. No fancy ingredients, no need for extra energy. I toss it all in, give it a stir or two, and let dinner do its thing for a while. And somehow it always gets it right.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Italian sausage
- 1 box farfalle pasta (12 ounces)
- 4 c. broth (chicken)
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
Step 1: Brown the sausage.
- Heat a pan over medium heat and cook the sausage until it is fully browned. Break it up when you cook it. Drain off most of the grease.
- I never skip this step, adds a ton more flavor.
Step 2: Put everything in the slow cooker
- Add the cooked sausage to the slow cooker.
- Add: uncooked farfalle chicken stock heavy whipping cream
- Mix it all together. Some pasta pieces might be above the liquid a little bit. Don’t worry about it.
Step 3: Cook
- Cover and cook on LOW for 2 ½ to 3 hours.
- I usually stir it once halfway through because the pasta near the edges cooks faster in my crockpot.
- If your slow cooker runs hot, check the pasta around the 2 hour mark.
Step 4: Add the cheese.
- Add the mozzarella, stir until the pasta is tender.
- Cover with lid and cook for 10 minutes or until cheese is completely melted and sauce is creamy.
Little Kitchen Observations
- If the pasta seems too thick, add a splash of broth.
- Sometimes I toss in some spinach at the end for a green color on the plate.
- The parmesan is tasty on top even though it is technically another ingredient.
- This is a dinner that garlic bread gets eaten up with very fast.
