Ingredients:
1 crookneck squash, cubed
28 oz crushed tomatoes
6 oz tomato paste
14 oz fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 anchovy filet
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a 4 quart slow cooker. Stir. Cook on low 8-9 hours. Stir. Serve over hot pasta.

My thoughts:

Once again, I turn to my summer secret weapon, the slow cooker. The perfect way to make a hot meal without heating up the house. For this recipe I used some more of that lovely crookneck squash from my garden and plenty of fresh herbs. Now I did use canned tomato products in this recipe. Mostly for two reasons: firstly, when fresh tomatoes are this good, I like to eat them raw. Secondly, I know what results I will get using canned tomatoes. While you could use fresh, depending on the variety, they may give off too much water and leave you with a sauce that is too liquid.

I love this sauce because even though it was made in the slow cooker, it tastes fresh because of the herbs and squash. The squash maintains a toothsome texture which I appreciated, too often squash is cooked into mush.