1. While cooking, crumble the Italian sausage into tiny pieces and brown it in a pan over medium heat.
2. Place the cooked sausage in a slow cooker and top with the chopped garlic, bell pepper, and onion.
3. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, red wine, chopped tomatoes, and juice from the tomatoes.
4. Finalize by adding the oregano, dried basil, and red pepper flakes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Coat and simmer, covered, for 6 to 8 hours after stirring to incorporate.
6. Cook the egg noodles until they are al dente, about 20-30 minutes before you want to serve them. Before adding them to the slow cooker, drain them.
7. Before topping with grated Parmesan cheese, taste and adjust spices as needed.
Add fresh basil as a garnish just before serving.
Tips and Variations
Substitute turkey sausage with the pork for a leaner alternative. For a vegetarian version, you may add extra veggies like zucchini and mushrooms or use a plant-based meat replacement in place of the sausage. You may also modify the recipe to fit your dietary restrictions by trying it with gluten-free noodles or other pastas, such as pappardelle. You may make the sauce richer by adding a dash of heavy cream.
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