Fody's Slow Cooker Spicy Low FODMAP Tomato Meat Sauce

Using a slow cooker to create a rich Low FODMAP tomato sauce is a thing of beauty - and using Fody's Low FODMAP Pasta Sauces as an ingredient for a more complex dish makes it easy. You prep for about 15 minutes and then the slow cooker goes to work for 8 hours on low. The result is a full-flavored lsauce for pasta that's low in FODMAPs and freezes well, too.

This low FODMAP recipe starts on top of the stove. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your slow cooker. Some have inserts that can go directly over a flame, and if this is the case you could use it to sauté the leeks, scallions and meat. The directions are for using a separate skillet, as many of us will likely be in this situation.

When you shop for sausage, read labels or speak with the butcher. Look out for onion and garlic in particular as ingredients, which you want to avoid. It is actually easy to find low FODMAP sausage!

• 2 tablespoons Low FODMAP Garlic-Infused Low FODMAP Olive Oil
• ½ cup (36 g) finely chopped leek greens
• ½ cup (32 g) finely chopped scallion greens
• 1 ½ pounds (680 g) low FODMAP sweet or hot Italian sausage
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 pounds (910 g) boneless short ribs - not too fatty
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1, 28-ounce (794 g) can whole, peeled tomatoes in juice
• 1, 19.4 ounce (550 g) jar Fody Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce
• 1 bay leaf

Heat oil in a large skillet over low-medium heat and add leek and scallion greens. Sauté until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape into large capacity slow cooker.

Replace same skillet over medium heat and squeeze the sausage out of its casing right into the pan, breaking up with a sturdy spatula as you sauté. Add the basil and oregano and sauté for a few minutes until the sausage is no longer pink. Scrape into slow cooker.

Season the short ribs generously with salt and pepper and brown all sides in the same skillet over medium heat. You will have to work in batches, and as they are done, transfer to the slow cooker.

Add canned tomatoes and juice to the slow cooker, using your spatula to break up the tomatoes. Add the Fody Low FODMAP Arrabbitata Pasta sauce, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and the bay leaf. Stir everything together.

Cover and set the slow cooker to low heat for 8 hours. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired. Sauce is ready to use or cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a week or freeze for up to a month. We love this sauce with pasta as well as polenta.