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Looking for an easy and delicious dinner recipe that the whole family will love? This crock pot spaghetti recipe is not only kid-friendly, but it’s also a time-saving solution for busy parents who want to serve a hearty and nutritious meal without spending hours in the kitchen!
When I was growing up you knew exactly what it meant when Mom said “we’re having spaghetti for dinner” or as I pronounced it “Pa-sketti”. It wasn’t anything fancy, but that didn’t matter to us! It was a classic rich red sauce coating every bite of a spaghetti noodle. My mom would take a simple jarred sauce and jazz it up with a myriad of ingredients like cooked ground turkey or beef and some extra garlic. It was simple, but it was perfect.
With winter upon us, I’m moving back to using my slow cooker more and more. Slow cookers save you time, energy and are just overall super convenient. Everything cooks on its own while you go about your busy day. Crock Pot Spaghetti is the total jam if you’re crunched for time and wanting an easy dish that you can put together in minutes!
Ingredients for Crock Pot Spaghetti
- ground beef, turkey, or chicken
- onion
- olive oil
- garlic powder
- kosher salt
- jarred pasta sauce
- water
- spaghetti noodles
- grated parmesan cheese
How to Make Spaghetti in the Slow Cooker
- Brown the meat: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the oil, meat, onion, garlic powder and salt for about 5-7 minutes, until cooked through. Drain excess fat.
- Add Ingredients to Slow Cooker: Pour one jar of pasta sauce and a cup of water in the bottom of the slow cooker. Break the spaghetti noodles in half and place them on top of the sauce. Add the cooked meat to the crock pot, sprinkle with the cheese, and cover with the second jar of pasta sauce.
- Cook: Cover the crock pot and cook on high for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or low for 6 hours. Remove the lid, stir to combine and mix everything together.
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Keep in mind that each slow cooker operates at various temperatures and cooking times. To avoid overcooked spaghetti, test it regularly to ensure it’s cooked to your liking. Overcooked pasta can become sticky and mushy, which nobody likes!
FAQs
- What is the texture of this spaghetti like? Keep in mind that crock pot spaghetti produces a bit softer noodle texture than traditional spaghetti that is boiled to al dente. But it shouldn’t be mushy! Be careful to not overcook the noodles.
- Can I used jarred pasta sauce for this recipe? Absolutely! The recipe calls for jarred sauce in fact, but feel free to make your own! I’ve used my Roast Vegetable Pasta Sauce for this recipe before and it was fantastic and got in some extra veggies too!
- Can this recipe be made vegetarian? Sure! Just leave out the meat and you’ll be just fine.
More Crock Pot Pasta Recipes
- Crock Pot Vegetable Ziti
- Slow Cooker 12 Layer Lasagna
- Crock Pot Meaty Pasta Sauce
- Crock Pot Veggie Lasagna
If you liked this recipe let me know in the comments and tag me on social media if you make it!
Crock Pot Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef, turkey, or chicken
- 1/2 onion, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 26 ounce jarred pasta sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1 pound spaghetti noodles
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook the oil, meat, onion, garlic powder and salt for about 5-7 minutes, until cooked through. Drain excess fat.
- Pour one jar of pasta sauce and 1 cup of water in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Break the spaghetti noodles in half and place them on top of the sauce.
- Add the cooked meat on top of the noodles, sprinkle with the cheese, and cover with the second jar of pasta sauce.
- Cover the crock pot and cook on high for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or low for 6 hours. (See notes)
- Remove the lid, stir to combine and mix everything together.
Video
Notes
- Keep in mind that each slow cooker operates at various temperatures and cooking times. To avoid overcooked spaghetti, test it regularly to ensure it’s cooked to your liking. Overcooked pasta can become sticky and mushy, which nobody likes!
I put this in an older, rectangular West Bend slow cooker before we left for church this morning. I followed the instructions exactly and added a few extra spices, using the highest setting. Total cook time was @ 2 hours. It turned out pretty tasty, although I, also had some sticking issues. Next time, I’ll try adding more sauce and drizzling some EVOO over the noodle layer and see if that does the trick. Thanks so much for the recipe!
I like the ideas.
Can you do this without meat? Does it cut down on the time?
Turned out awesome! So much and so good:)
I was not sure I was going to like this recipe, but it seemed easy enough, so thought I would give it a try. I followed the recipe, and set it on low for 6 hours. I could not believe the amount of spaghetti that this made from one package! Wow! I’m sure it is because the noodles continue to absorb the liquid. I decided to add a 3rd bottle of sauce. We like things a little saucy in our house! My boys and husband scarfed it down and I was pleasantly surprised with the results. I’m not a huge spaghetti lover and I finished my bowl too!
We had the same problem with mushy, clumpy spaghetti noodles, which is what I was afraid of cooking pasta for so long. So if you’re an “al denta” pasta lover like us, it might be worth a few minutes of steamy kitchen.
It was also pretty bland (we like lots of sauce) so I like the idea of using a 3rd bottle of sauce.
Made this last night and this is what I found…
I cooked it on high for one hour and the spaghetti was mushy and some in inedible clumps. Couldn’t imagine what would have happened if I left it on for 2 hours.
The sauce was delicious though.
My advice would be to cook the spaghetti separately. Then you won’t risk it being mushy.
I haven’t tested it with whole wheat spaghetti, but I think that would work just fine with no adjustments necessary!
Great recipe. Can this be made using whole wheat spaghetti? If so, what, if any, adjustments need to be made?
If I don’t make my own, then I like Newman’s Own or anything organic from Trader Joe’s!
Looks simple and delicious! What pasta sauce do you recommend? There are so many, and they differ greatly in taste and nutrition. I’m curios what you like to use. Thank you!!
I’ve tried making pasta in the slow cooker and the pasta becomes mushy. I cooked it well less than the 6 hours on low that your recipe calls for. How did you prevent this from happening?
What would be the recommendations for cutting this in half? Just splitting everything?
Does this work better in a crock pot with a ceramic insert, or in a simple one-piece metal slow cooker? I have both… Thank you!
no absolutely not. that would not work at all.
thanks ! can you make without the parmesan?