Description
This rich and flavorful Crockpot Brown Butter Tomato and Ricotta Pasta is an easy, hands-off dinner that combines slow-cooked tomatoes, spicy Italian chicken sausage, and luscious ricotta cheese with a fragrant brown butter and rosemary topping. Perfect for a comforting weeknight meal, the crockpot does most of the work while you prepare the pasta and finish with fresh herbs and cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
Tomato Sauce
- 6 heirloom or regular tomatoes, halved and stems removed
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed or chopped (4 cloves for sauce, 2 for butter)
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1-2 parmesan rinds
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 – 3 tablespoons Calabrian chile peppers in oil, or chili flakes
- 1 cup water
- 1 pound ground spicy Italian chicken sausage (optional)
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves (1 cup for sauce, 1 cup for finishing)
Pasta & Finishings
- 1 pound long or short cut pasta (recommended pennoni)
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
- 6 ounces ricotta cheese (preferably whipped)
Instructions
- Prepare the crockpot sauce: In the crockpot bowl, combine the halved tomatoes, 4 cloves garlic, fresh thyme leaves, Italian seasoning, parmesan rind, and 1 cup water. Season with sea salt, black pepper, and Calabrian chile peppers or chili flakes. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours to develop rich flavors.
- Crush and blend the tomatoes: Increase crockpot heat to HIGH. Use the back of a wooden spoon or an immersion blender to crush the tomatoes into a sauce, making sure to remove and discard any tomato stems and parmesan rind before blending.
- Add sausage and basil: If using sausage, crumble the raw ground spicy Italian chicken sausage into the sauce. Add 1 cup of fresh basil leaves. Continue cooking on HIGH for another 1-2 hours to fully cook the sausage and meld flavors.
- Cook the pasta: When sauce is ready, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain well. Stir the cooked pasta, grated parmesan cheese, and remaining 1 cup basil into the sauce until smooth and combined.
- Make the brown butter rosemary topping: In a skillet over medium heat, melt the salted butter and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the butter browns and smells nutty. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining smashed garlic and chopped fresh rosemary.
- Assemble and serve: Divide the pasta between plates. Top each serving with spoonfuls of ricotta cheese, drizzle with the brown butter rosemary mixture, and garnish with additional fresh basil if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Notes
- You can omit the sausage for a vegetarian version or substitute with plant-based sausage.
- Use fresh, ripe tomatoes for the best flavor in the sauce.
- If you don’t have Calabrian chiles, chili flakes add nice heat as a substitute.
- Whipped ricotta adds a creamy, light texture but regular ricotta works as well.
- Be careful not to burn the brown butter; remove from heat as soon as it turns golden brown.
- The parmesan rinds add depth to the sauce and can be saved for soups or stocks after use.
- Pennoni or rigatoni pasta are ideal for holding the sauce, but any short or long pasta works.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
