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Crockpot Brown Butter Tomato and Ricotta Pasta. A summery tomato pasta that’s full of fresh heirloom tomatoes and creamy ricotta cheese. Slow-cooked heirloom and cherry tomatoes are cooked with garlic, thyme, Italian spices, parmesan rinds, and chile peppers to create an effortless, chunky marinara sauce. Just before the sauce is finished, spicy Italian chicken is added with garlic brown butter. Toss the sauce with pasta and grated parmesan cheese, then serve up each bowl with whipped ricotta and fresh basil. It’s the perfect mix of comforting and bright.
I’m the girl who walks into Whole Foods and heads straight to the produce section, always looking (and hoping) for something pretty to cook with. When the store finally stocks the heirloom tomatoes, the figs, the peaches—I buy more than I need and definitely more than I have plans for.
This is me all summer long. I always end up with more tomatoes than I know what to do with. When they sit on the counter and start to become a little too soft, they always leave me with inspiration.
Sometimes I roast them and blend them into sauce. Sometimes I make pizza. But other times… pasta comes to mind.
Today’s pasta is effortless. No peeling, no chopping, no cooking ahead—just the right amount of effort.
All the tomatoes go into the crockpot. I left mine whole and didn’t even bother taking the stems off—I knew they’d fall off easily after cooking!
Once the tomatoes have cooked down, I crush them with a spoon and leave the sauce chunky. The only extra steps are cooking the pasta and browning the butter—both take just a few quick minutes.
Simple and delicious. Great for back-to-school season and especially perfect as we head into fall!
The Details
Ingredients
- heirloom or regular tomatoes
- cherry tomatoes
- garlic
- fresh thyme
- Italian seasoning
- parmesan
- crushed Calabrian chile peppers – or use chili flakes
- spicy Italian chicken sausage – omit if vegetarian
- fresh basil
- short cut pasta – use pennoni
- salted butter
- rosemary
- ricotta cheese – whip this to make it even creamier!
Special Tools
For this recipe, you will need a crockpot.
Steps
Step 1: Slow cook the sauce
In the crockpot, add the tomatoes, garlic, thyme, seasonings, parmesan rinds, and crushed Calabrian chile peppers—or use chili flakes if that’s what you have.
Cook the sauce on low or high, depending on how much time you have.
Step 2: Add the meat
Use a wooden spoon to break down the tomatoes right in the crockpot—or, if you prefer a smoother sauce, blend it up (just be sure to remove the stems from the tomatoes and the parmesan rind first). I always leave my sauce chunky and skip the blender.
After you break the tomatoes down, remove any stems left in the sauce.
Next, crumble the meat into the sauce and let it cook on high for another hour.
Step 3: Brown the butter
In a small skillet, melt the salted butter until it turns golden brown and smells nutty and rich. Pull it off the heat, then toss in the garlic and rosemary. Let the garlic sizzle in the butter for a minute or two.
Stir the brown butter into the sauce, saving a spoonful for serving if you’d like.
Step 4: Boil the pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook your pasta according to the package directions.
Lately, I’ve been loving Pennoni pasta—it’s like a larger, ridged penne with angled ends that hold onto sauce beautifully. But really, use whatever pasta you love most.
Step 5: Toss the pasta
Add the hot, freshly drained pasta right into the sauce. Stir in the Parmesan and lots of fresh basil.
Serve
Spoon the pasta into bowls and top with whipped ricotta, extra basil, and a drizzle of the reserved brown butter. Stir the ricotta into the sauce and enjoy every creamy, cozy bite.
Add greens
Serve this with a simple side salad for a complete meal. Easy enough for a weeknight, but special enough to serve friends on a Friday or Saturday night as we start to ease into fall.
Looking for more summer recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Simple Roasted Sungold Cherry Tomato Pasta
Skillet Burst Cherry Tomato Summer Pasta with Lemony Breadcrumbs
One Pot Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Pasta
Pesto Chicken Saltimbocca with Burst Tomatoes and Burrata
Detroit Style Tomato Herb Pepperoni Pizza
Cherry Tomato Pasta Alla Vodka
Lastly, if you make this Crockpot Brown Butter Tomato and Ricotta Pasta, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crockpot Brown Butter Tomato and Ricotta Pasta
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 549 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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1. In the bowl of your crockpot, combine the tomatoes, 4 garlic cloves, thyme, Italian seasoning, parmesan rind, and 1 cup water. Season with salt, pepper, and chilies. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours.2. Crank the heat on the crockpot to HIGH. Crush the tomatoes using the back of a wooden spoon or an immersion blender (remove the tomato steams and parmesan rind before you blend). Discard any tomato stems if you left those on. 3. Crumble the raw sausage into the sauce. Add 1 cup basil. Cook another 1-2 hours.4. When ready to serve, cook the pasta according to package directions until it is al dente. Drain. Add the pasta, parmesan cheese, and 1 cup of basil to the sauce, stirring until smooth. 5. In a skillet, cook the butter over medium heat until browned, 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the garlic and rosemary. Stir the butter into the pasta.6. Divide the pasta between plates. Top with ricotta, additional brown butter, and basil. EAT and ENJOY.
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