Description
A comforting slow cooker pasta dish made with seasoned ground beef, rich tomato sauce, tender pasta, and melted mozzarella cheese. This hearty family dinner is easy to prepare and perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 12 ounces uncooked penne or rotini pasta
- 3 cups tomato sauce
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef, diced onion, and minced garlic. Cook until beef is fully browned. Drain excess grease.
- Transfer the cooked beef mixture to the crockpot. Stir in tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 hours to allow flavors to develop.
- About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the uncooked pasta. Cover and continue cooking until pasta is tender.
- Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the top. Cover and let it melt for about 5 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve warm.
Notes
- Add the pasta only during the final stage to prevent overcooking.
- If the sauce becomes too thick, stir in a small splash of warm water.
- Freshly grated mozzarella melts more smoothly.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg