Slow-Cooker Sausage Ragu

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add fennel, onion, and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is uniformly colored, about 1 minute. Transfer vegetable mixture to slow cooker.

Add sausage, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, wine, pepper, and salt to slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook until sausage is cooked through and tender, 6 to 7 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.

Skim excess fat from surface of sauce with spoon. Using potato masher, mash sausage in slow cooker until uniformly broken into small pieces. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve. (Cooled sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

FREEZE IT: This sauce freezes beautifully for up to two months. To freeze it, let the sauce cool completely and then spoon it into a zipper-lock bag or an airtight storage container. You can reheat the sauce right from frozen in a saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat (stirring frequently and taking care to not let it scorch) with a little extra water added.