Crock Pot Spaghetti

5 from 5 votes

An easy dinner that's ready when you need it!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword crock pot spaghetti, crockpot spaghetti, slow cooker spaghetti

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 15

Servings people

Calories 485.8kcal

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage, ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken
1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
½ of an onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (about 3 large cloves)
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 (24 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
1 ¼ cups water
1 lb. uncooked spaghetti noodles
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Optional garnish: chopped fresh herbs such as parsley or basil; additional grated Parmesan cheese; crushed red pepper flakes

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat, mushrooms, onion, garlic and salt. Cook, stirring frequently and breaking up the meat, until no longer pink (about 5-7 minutes). Drain off fat.
Stir in the diced tomatoes.
Pour one jar of the spaghetti sauce and the water in the bottom of a slow cooker. Break the spaghetti noodles in half and place them on top of the sauce.
Add the cooked meat mixture to the slow cooker, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and pour the second jar of sauce over top.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 ½-3 hours or on LOW for 4-6 hours, stirring periodically (if possible). My spaghetti is perfectly done in my slow cooker in exactly 2 hours on HIGH. If your slow cooker runs at a higher temperature, it might be done a lot sooner. Just keep a close eye on it after the first 30-45 minutes or so, and turn off the slow cooker when the noodles are al dente. Toss all of the ingredients together.
Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. You might like to add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes for a little bit of heat as well. Garnish individual servings with fresh herbs such as basil or parsley and extra Parmesan cheese.

- Every slow cooker runs at a slightly different temperature, which is why the recipe gives you general ranges rather than exact cooking times. Since my slow cooker tends to cook at a relatively high temperature, I find that the pasta is best when cooked on HIGH for exactly 2 hours or on LOW for 4 hours. Just keep an eye on your pasta, stirring regularly, the first time you make it so that you know how long it takes in your Crock Pot. Overcooked pasta will get gummy and mushy -- not ideal!
- This recipe was designed and tested with dry spaghetti. If you use a different pasta shape (such as thin spaghetti) or another type of noodle (such as whole wheat or gluten-free pasta), you will likely need to adjust the cooking time.

- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I don't recommend freezing the cooked spaghetti, since it will likely have a mushy, gummy texture when thawed.