Description
A comforting, filling dish made with ground beef, pasta, marinara sauce, and melted cheese, cooked in a slow cooker.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.25 lbs ground beef (lean recommended)
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 24 oz marinara sauce
- 1.25 cups diced tomatoes
- 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3.5 cups water
- 2 cups pasta (such as rotini or penne)
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef: Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook for about 5 minutes until browned.
- Add aromatics: Toss in the diced onion and cook until softened. Then add minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Combine ingredients in the slow cooker: Transfer beef mixture to the slow cooker and add marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and water. Stir well.
- Cook on low heat: Cover and cook for about 4 hours to meld the flavors.
- Add the pasta: Include the dry pasta, heavy cream, and half of the mozzarella cheese. Stir to mix.
- Finish cooking: Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, cover, and let cook for an additional hour.
Notes
For a vegetarian version, substitute ground beef with lentils or a plant-based meat alternative and use vegetable broth.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 300 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
Keywords: crockpot pasta, ground beef pasta, easy dinner, Italian recipe, comfort food