Slow Cooker Creamy Garlic Sausage and Cavatelli Recipe – Easy Comfort Food Dinner is the perfect cozy meal for busy nights when you crave something rich and satisfying. Pour this creamy garlic mixture over raw sausage links and cavatelli in a slow cooker to create a warming supper that is truly addictive. With tender pasta, savory sausage, and a velvety garlic sauce, this easy comfort food dinner recipe delivers big flavor with minimal effort.
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Creamy Garlic Sausage and Cavatelli Recipe
- Garlic
- Quantity: 1 whole head
- Notes: Roast before mixing into the sauce.
- Olive oil
- Quantity: 2 teaspoons
- Notes: Drizzle over garlic before roasting.
- Heavy cream
- Quantity: 1 1/2 cups
- Notes: Forms the creamy base of the sauce.
- Low-sodium chicken broth
- Quantity: 1 cup
- Notes: Add more later if the sauce thickens too much.
- Finely grated Parmesan cheese (to serve and extra for topping)
- Quantity: 1 cup
- Notes: Mix into the sauce and use extra for serving.
- Flake red pepper (or to taste)
- Quantity: 1/2 teaspoon
- Notes: Adjust spice level as desired.
- Kosher salt
- Quantity: 1 teaspoon
- Notes: Season the sauce and adjust at the end.
- Black pepper
- Quantity: 1/2 teaspoon
- Notes: Adds mild heat and balance.
- Raw Italian sausage links (mild or hot)
- Quantity: 1 lb
- Notes: Keep whole; cook thoroughly to 160°F.
- Dry cavatelli pasta
- Quantity: 1 pound
- Notes: Add uncooked directly to the slow cooker.
- Unsalted butter
- Quantity: 2 tablespoons
- Notes: Optional for extra richness.
- Chopped fresh parsley or basil (for garnish)
- Quantity: 2 tablespoons
- Notes: Optional garnish before serving.
How to Make Slow Cooker Creamy Garlic Sausage and Cavatelli Recipe
Directions
- Roast the garlic: Heat the oven to 400 deg F (200 deg C). Peel the head of garlic by cutting off the top 1/4 inch to reveal the cloves. Put the head on a small foil, drizzle it with olive oil and wrap. Roast 30-35 minutes or until the cloves are extremely tender and golden. allow to cool till you can grip it.
- Ready the slow cooker base: As the garlic cools, use a little butter or cooking spray on the inside of a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the uncooked links of Italian sausage at the bottom of the slow cooker in one layer.
- Added cavatelli: Sprinkle the dry cavatelli into the slow cooker, evenly over and between the sausage links. It will be best if most of the pasta is in contact with the bottom and sides to ensure that it is well-covered with the sauce.
- Prepare the creamy roasted garlic sauce: Squeeze the roasted garlic slices out of their cas then into the medium-sized bowl. Mash with a fork until smooth. Stir in the heavy cream, chicken broth, grated Parmesan, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, black pepper and butter (in case of use). Whisk until the mixture is relatively smooth and the Parmesan is mixed. It is a single blend to pour over the sausage and pasta.
- Pour the mixture over the sausage and pasta: Gradually pour and add the thick, roasted garlic mixture to the raw sausage links and cavatelli in the slow cooker, being careful not to load it on all the pasta or the sausages when doing it. With the spoon, push the majority of the pasta into the liquid using the back of the spoon.
- Cook slowly: wrap the slow cooker with the lid. Bake at LOW 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours or until the cavatelli becomes tender and the links of sausage are cooked (an internal temperature of 160degF on pork sausage). The pasta should cook evenly, and to achieve this, the lid should not be raised within the initial 2 hours.
- Stir and mix: When all is cooked, stir and mix the pasta and the sauce around the sausage links, taking caution not to break the sausages. In case the sauce appears to be too thick, add chicken broth or cream in small amounts to warm it up until it is as creamy as desired. Taste and add a pinch of salt, pepper or crushed red pepper.
- Serve: Spoon the creamy cavatelli and sausage into hot bowls making sure that each serving includes one sausage link and a good amount of sauce. Serve Shredded Parmesan and a sprinkle of fresh parsley or basil, should you have. Hot and savoury that nice roasted garlic smell in the kitchen.