Description
Discover the best easy and quick Slow Cooker Baked Spaghetti recipe for your next weeknight dinner or family potluck. This simple healthy comfort meal features tender pasta cooked low and slow in a rich beef tomato sauce and smothered with gooey mozzarella cheese. The secret is adding dry broken spaghetti directly into the hot sauce during the last 25 minutes so it absorbs maximum flavor while cooking to perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 lbs ground beef 80/20
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic cloves
- 48 oz (2 jars) marinara sauce
- 16 oz spaghetti noodles
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 cups whole milk mozzarella cheese
- 0.5 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tbsp dried italian seasoning
Instructions
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat (about 375°F equivalent on an electric stove) until the pan is hot but not smoking. Add 1.5 lbs of ground beef 80/20 along with 1 finely diced yellow onion. Use a wooden spoon to break the meat into small uniform crumbles as it cooks. Sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until the beef is completely browned and the onions become translucent. Stir in 4 minced garlic cloves during the last 60 seconds of cooking so the garlic fragrance blooms without scorching. Drain off most of the rendered fat leaving just a tablespoon for flavor. (I tried skipping the browning step in my early tests to save time but the texture of the meat suffered and the sauce got greasy.) Transfer the cooked beef mixture into the bottom of your 6-quart slow cooker insert. Brown the meat thoroughly first, this sear creates the fond that grounds the sauce flavor.
- Pour 48 oz of marinara sauce and 1 cup of beef broth directly over the browned beef in the slow cooker insert. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of dried italian seasoning evenly over the liquid. Stir everything together with a wooden spoon for about 30 seconds until the meat and liquids are thoroughly combined into a thick hearty red sauce. Cover the slow cooker with its glass lid and set the temperature to LOW. Simmer undisturbed for 3 hours at a gentle low heat. You will smell the rich tomato and herb aroma fill your kitchen as the sauce deepens in color to a dark crimson red. Keep the lid sealed tight, removing the lid lets critical steam escape and lowers the cooking temperature.
- Remove the lid carefully after the 3-hour simmer mark. Snap 16 oz of uncooked dry spaghetti noodles in half over the pot and scatter them evenly in a crisscross pattern across the hot sauce. Use your wooden spoon to gently press the dry noodles down until every single strand is completely submerged under the liquid. Do not stir in circles or the noodles will clump together into a solid block. Replace the lid securely and turn the temperature to HIGH. Cook on HIGH for 20 to 25 minutes until the noodles become tender but remain slightly firm in the middle. (My first batch turned into paste because I stirred too aggressively, gentle submerging is the secret.) Keep noodles pushed beneath sauce level, unexposed dry pasta will scorch and stay crunchy.
- Uncover the slow cooker once the noodles are tender and stir gently once to distribute the sauce evenly. Drop dollops of 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese across the surface of the pasta using a large spoon. Scatter 2 cups of coarsely shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese and 0.5 cup of grated parmesan cheese evenly over the ricotta layer. The cheeses should form a thick white blanket that covers the pasta completely from edge to edge. Place the glass lid back on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for another 8 to 10 minutes. Watch for the cheeses to melt completely into a glossy thick white layer with tiny pockets of red sauce bubbling up around the sides. Cover with lid immediately, trapped steam is what melts the cheese into a silky golden sheet.
- Turn off the slow cooker completely and remove the ceramic insert from the heating base if possible. Let the pasta rest uncovered on a heat-safe surface for exactly 10 minutes before scooping. As it sits off the heat the bubbling cheese will set into a velvety crust and the pasta will absorb any remaining loose sauce. The color will settle into a beautiful contrast of white melted cheese crimson sauce and fresh herbs. Use a wide serving spoon to scoop deep into the insert making sure to grab noodles meat sauce and cheesy top in every portion. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired. Rest 10 minutes before serving, lets the starch set so the portions scoop cleanly without running.
Notes
Pro Tips:
- Break the dry spaghetti strands in half before dropping them into the cooker so they lay flat and stay fully submerged.
- Always brown your ground beef in a skillet at 375°F first to drain excess grease before adding it to the slow cooker insert.
- Use warm beef broth heated to around 110°F to ensure the slow cooker sauce temperature does not drop when added.
- Check noodle doneness at minute 20 of the high heat cycle because slow cooker models vary in cooking speed.
- Shred block mozzarella cheese yourself with a box grater so it melts without a powdery anti-caking residue.
- Grate fresh parmesan over the top layer during the last 2 minutes for an extra salty pop of flavor.
- Rest the finished pasta uncovered for 10 minutes off heat so the sauce thickens and portion scoops hold their shape.
Storage: Keep leftover Slow Cooker Baked Spaghetti in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Just let it cool down to room temperature before popping the lid on. That keeps moisture from building up and making your noodles soggy. When you’re ready to reheat a single portion, put it on a plate with a splash of water or broth and cover it loosely with a paper towel. Zap it in the microwave on high for 90 seconds until it’s steamy and hot all the way through. Want to freeze it? Split it into meal prep dishes and freeze for up to three months. Just thaw it overnight in the fridge before heating it back up.
- Category: Dinner
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 492g
- Calories: 568
- Sugar: 11g
- Sodium: 1732mg
- Fat: 45g
- Carbohydrates: 41g
- Fiber: 5g
- Cholesterol: 172mg