One Pot Spaghetti in the Slow Cooker
This 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker One Pot Spaghetti is a warm, hearty dinner made with simple staples and no separate pasta pot. Brown the beef, let the sauce cook low and slow, then add the spaghetti right to the crock for an easy meal with minimal cleanup.
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound ground beef Preferably lean, around 85–90%.
1 24-ounce jar marinara or spaghetti sauce Use a favorite sauce.
3 cups low-sodium beef broth Use water if desired.
12 ounces dry spaghetti Break in half so it will fit in the slow cooker.
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning Or use a dried oregano-and-basil blend.
DIRECTIONS:
Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks, until there is no pink left, then drain off the excess fat.
Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker, then pour in the marinara sauce and beef broth, sprinkle in the Italian seasoning, and stir everything together.
Cover the slow cooker and cook the meat sauce on LOW for 3 to 4 hours or on HIGH for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
About 45 to 60 minutes before dinner, stir the sauce, add the dry spaghetti broken in half, and press the noodles down into the sauce and liquid as much as possible; add up to 1/2 cup extra broth or water if it looks dry.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the spaghetti is tender but not mushy.
Stir the finished spaghetti and sauce together well, thinning with a splash of broth or water if needed, or leaving the lid off for 5 to 10 minutes if it is too loose; taste before adding salt and serve hot.