Tuscan Pasta With Italian Sausage

gbianchi's Note:

An easy and delicious crock pot meal which I picked up from The Slow Cooker Bible (on clearance at Border's!). The original recipe uses chicken but I alter it to use Italian sausage. This is a hearty pasta and a great way to sneak lots of vegetables into your families' meal and have it taste great, too!

• Total Time: 14 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 4 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 6 Italian sausages, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 (4 ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 6 ounces uncooked thin spaghetti, broken in half

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients, excluding uncooked pasta, in crock pot.
2. Cover, cook on LOW for approximately 3.5 to 4 hours. Use a thermometer to check the meat's temperature to be sure it is cooked all the way through. Vegetables should be tender, but not mushy.
3. Stir in spaghetti. Cover and cook on HIGH for 10 minutes. Stir, cover, and cook for approximately 10 more minutes or until spaghetti is al dente.