Slow cooker penne pasta is a scrumptious one-pot meal. It’s straightforward to do! the right meal for busy weeknights, neighbors, potlucks, or household gatherings.
This gradual cooker penne pasta is a simple one-pot meal. let me begin by saying this isn’t fancy meals, however it’s kid-friendly and scrumptious!
It is easy to make and filled with taste. everybody in my household loves it, and there is at all times sufficient for leftovers (or might be frozen for a later meal!).
This one pot pasta is ideal if you should convey a meal to a neighbor or good friend. It is an ideal kid-friendly meal that may be a pleasant addition to a household occasion if in case you have choosy eaters (that is at all times successful with the youngsters), and it makes an important meal for busy weeknights!
the sauce & meat
should you’ve made my straightforward do-it-yourself spaghetti sauce (click on right here for the recipe), then you understand how scrumptious this pasta dish goes to be! my do-it-yourself spaghetti sauce is easy however filled with taste.
I take advantage of this sauce for this one-pot meal and it makes it scrumptious. I double my sauce for this recipe. fills a 6-quart gradual cooker when you add the meat and pasta, however you may simply make half the recipe for much less!
Along with my straightforward do-it-yourself spaghetti sauce, I at all times add some kind of meat. we love some browned floor beef, however an Italian sausage is tasty too. floor hen or turkey is an alternative choice if you’d like a lean meat!
meat is not vital, the sauce by itself is scrumptious, however I like so as to add a little bit of meat for additional taste!
Together with the spaghetti sauce, I combine in a creamy, tacky filling that can soften into the sauce, making it flavorful. I take advantage of a combination of bitter cream, ricotta cheese, and cream cheese.
combine till clean, then layer within the gradual cooker with the spaghetti con carne sauce and a few mozzarella cheese. the top result’s heavenly!
pasta
I at all times use penne pasta (because the title says), however the bowtie, rotini, or rigatoni are different nice choices. spaghetti or fettucine pasta isn’t my most popular pasta.
I really like the huge floor of the opposite pastas and I really like that they’re bitier and simpler to eat (particularly for toddlers). penne and different pastas additionally maintain up higher whereas cooking within the sauce within the gradual cooker.
making this one-pot dish
That is actually a one-pot dish. throw all of it in your gradual cooker and stroll away. It is completed in just a few hours and also you’re left with a scrumptious hearty meal!
First, I brown my floor beef or cook dinner no matter meat I am including (should you’re including meat). whereas the meat is browning, I combine my spaghetti sauce collectively in a separate bowl.
Then I combine my tacky cream components (bitter cream, cream cheese, and ricotta cheese) in one other bowl. mix creamy components till clean and nicely blended.
after the meat is browned and drained, I add it to the spaghetti sauce and blend it collectively.
put within the gradual cooker, in 2 layers. first you may pour half of the meaty sauce on the underside, then add half of the field/pack of dry pasta. pasta doesn’t must be cooked forward of time… sure! stir it so the pasta blends collectively and would not clump collectively.
then, take half of your creamy combination and drop spoonfuls on high of the sauce/meat/pasta. sprinkle on a cup of mozzarella cheese (or extra to your liking, you may by no means have sufficient cheese), and your first “layer” is finished. repeat for the second “layer” and high with mozzarella cheese on the finish.
aspect be aware: layers, as you may discover, will not actually keep layered. do not panic if they are not even layers or if the quantities are divided precisely in half for every layer. every thing melts and finally ends up being served collectively!
cook dinner the dish
I really like that every thing is cooked within the gradual cooker (besides the meat…you need to pre-cook it). this pasta dish will cook dinner in only a few hours. you really want it to warmth and cook dinner the pasta.
Every gradual cooker can cook dinner somewhat in a different way. my gradual cooker cooks this on excessive in 2 hours, some gradual cookers may have an additional half-hour. I’d suggest that you simply test it after 2 hours should you cook dinner it on excessive warmth.
Should you cook dinner on low warmth, it can want 3-4 hours, test it on the 3 hour mark.
It is the right make-and-go meal and it is prepared if you’re able to eat!
some further info
after my pasta has cooked, I prefer to take away the lid, sprinkle on some additional mozzarella cheese, and place it in my oven (pot solely) and let it roast and get somewhat crisp on high.
I set it to 475 levels on broil and let it broil for a couple of minutes. this isn’t completely vital and doesn’t change the flavour of the dish!
I take advantage of my 6-quart gradual cooker and fill it up. you’ll have quite a lot of dough! this simply feeds my household of 5, giving seconds to those that need it. I’d guess this may simply feed 12 folks if no more! It actually is ideal for giant teams and potlucks! You might simply make this recipe in half as nicely and cook dinner it in a smaller gradual cooker!
There are at all times leftovers at my home (which I really like for busy weeks). the pasta will develop into somewhat softer when reheated the subsequent day. I do not reheat it within the gradual cooker, I simply pop it within the microwave, fancy I do know!
You can too freeze it in an hermetic container for as much as 6 months. simply take it out to defrost earlier than heating. when able to eat, reheat in gradual cooker, stovetop, or oven to 375 levels.
I believe the right complement to this pasta dish is my garlic knots or my straightforward breadsticks!
click on right here to see my garlic knots.
click on right here to see my straightforward breadsticks.
Slow cooker penne pasta is a scrumptious one-pot meal! it is simple to arrange and makes the right meal for busy weeknights, potlucks, or household gatherings.
strive my Slow Cooker Lasagna or my Slow Cooker Two Sauce Pasta.
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listed here are some merchandise I used to make this recipe!
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