Everybody loves pasta, right? The pasta used in this slow cooker recipe
is tortellini. Tortellini is pasta that is shaped like a ring and is
often stuffed with some type of sausage. In this recipe you are going to
be using cheese stuffed tortellini and the sausage will be added
externally.
Legend has it that the pasta was created when someone in the days of
yore became overly intrigued with someone else’s belly button, and was
inspired to create a pasta that resembled it – thus, tortellini was
born!
This tortellini recipe will probably take you about 30 minutes to put
together, and then you are going to cook it in the slow cooker for about
8 ½ hours. It will make about 12 servings. The recipe is wide open for
substitutions, additions and omissions to suit your taste buds and
creativity.
Slow Cooker Cheese Tortellini With Italian Sausage
450 g of Italian sausage with the casings removed (1 pound U.S.)
450 g of lean ground beef (1 pound)
olive oil for sautéing
4 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
1 small white onion, peeled and chopped
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
.95 liters of your favorite marinara sauce (2 - 16 ounce jars)
450 g of fresh mushrooms, sliced (1 pound)
2 400 g cans Italian-style diced tomatoes, including the juice
(2 - 14.5 ounce cans)
10 ml of crushed red pepper
10 ml of Italian seasoning
500 g of fresh, frozen or refrigerated cheese tortellini
200 g of shredded mozzarella cheese
140 g of shredded parmesan cheese
Procedure
Start the slow cooker on low heat with the lid on so it can be
preheating while you are preparing the other foods.
Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat in a large
skillet for sautéing. Add the minced garlic, the chopped onion, and the
chopped bell pepper and cook until the onion becomes limp and
translucent.
Add the Italian sausage and the ground beef to the skillet. Break the
sausage and the ground beef up until it they are both crumbly. Cover the
skillet and allow the meats to cook until they are browned. Drain off
the excess grease and add the meat and vegetable mixture to the slow
cooker.
Next, add the marinara sauce, the sliced mushrooms, the diced tomatoes
(including the liquid from the can), the crushed red pepper and the
Italian seasoning. Mix everything together well and allow the food to
cook covered for 8 hours on low heat.
Remove the lid and add the tortellini. Stir until it is mixed in well.
Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top of the food, and then
sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the top of that. Replace the lid and
continue to cook for another 20 minutes or so until the pasta is tender.
Check it and allow more time if needed.
When your cheese tortellini, sausage and beef dish is finished cooking
you can scoop it right out of the slow cooker onto dinner plates. Top
with additional grated or shredded parmesan cheese if you like. It’s
time to pass the garlic bread and pass the pasta!
Experts recommend you do not put frozen foods in the crockpot. All foods
should be defrosted before cooking so the food temperature can reach 140
degrees as soon as possible. However, since none of my family members are in
a high-risk group, I often cook frozen foods in the crockpot. The informed
choice is up to you.
