3 tablespoons butter
2 pounds Italian sausage, hot or mild
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup red wine
2 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 onion, chopped in a small dice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, cut into large pieces
2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Fresh basil, roughly chopped, for garnish
Heat butter in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When hot and starting to foam, add the sausages and sear them on all sides. Add to the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and stir well to incorporate everything together.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 hours. When ready, serve over hot pasta and garnish with fresh basil.