With over 1 million pins, enjoy this addictive slow cooker beef and cheese pasta that is cooked long and slow to bring out the best cheesy meat sauce!
Here’s a really simple meal to throw together that’s pretty kid-friendly too. This slow cooker beef and cheese pasta boasts lots of melty mozzarella cheese strings and a rich meat pasta sauce that has plenty of time to marry the flavors long and slow.
It’s a big enough meal for eight servings so there are plenty of leftovers to go around, although there usually aren’t much leftovers with this one. Though not your conventional pasta sauce, the addition of sugar to balance out the tartness of tomato sauce and other seasonings to make it extra beefy makes this an addictive combination. And with that, let’s get started.
SLOW COOKER BEEF AND CHEESE PASTA RECIPE TIPS
‣ Pasta – I cooked the pasta till al dente and tossed it in the slow cooker 30 minutes before the end. You will end up with soggy pasta if you add uncooked or cooked pasta in the beginning. And no one likes soggy pasta!
‣ Ground beef – If you’re not using lean ground beef, brown it over the stovetop before adding it to the slow cooker. Too much fat will dilute the sauce.
If you have super-lean ground beef, you can skip this step. I would brown anything below 93% lean/7 % fat, then drain away all that fat.
‣ Spinach – I used frozen spinach but if you want to use fresh instead, toss it in once it’s all done cooking and mix. The residual heat will be enough to cook them. It’s the same reason I tossed in the cooked frozen spinach last.
Cooking spinach for too long will make it tough and leathery. There’s no such thing as undercooking spinach since you can eat it raw anyway, but there is such a thing as overcooking it!
‣ Marinara sauce – The marinara sauce is mildly sweetened to balance out the tartness from tomatoes. I’ve also added some beef bouillon cubes and Worcestershire sauce to enhance the beef flavor.
It’s like adding in the flavor of 2 cups of beef broth, only you don’t have to cook it down. Do a taste test and see if you need to add more of the other seasonings to tweak things to your taste.
And that’s about it. As I said, this one is a really simple meal to throw together if you’re craving meaty pasta and happen to like cheese. Because who doesn’t like cheese!
For appetizers, the classic homemade garlic bread or these Parmesan garlic knots pair really well. Enjoy, happy cooking and let me know how you liked it or what substitutions you made in the comments below!
MORE PASTA RECIPES TO TRY
- Meatball Pasta Bake
- Easy Vegetable Pasta
- Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese
- Pizza Pasta Casserole
- Pepperoni and Olive Penne Pasta
- Lasagna Roll-Ups
- Easy Ravioli Lasagna
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Slow Cooker Beef and Cheese Pasta
- Total Time: 6 hours 10 mins
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
With over 1 million pins, enjoy this addictive slow cooker beef and cheese pasta that is cooked long and slow to bring out the best cheesy meat sauce!
Ingredients
- 2 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 15 oz. marinara sauce
- 15 oz. stewed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Red pepper flakes to taste
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 beef bouillon cubes
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 10 oz. frozen spinach, cooked
- 1 lb. penne/rigatoni/bow tie pasta, cooked al dente
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Over medium high heat, brown the beef in a skillet until cooked and fat has melted. Drain any excess fat.
- Remove beef and sauté onions and garlic until onions are translucent.
- Transfer onions, garlic and beef to a 6 qt. slow cooker and pour in marinara sauce, tomatoes, basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, crumbled beef bouillon cubes and sugar.
- Stir to mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook for 6-8 hours on low.
- Cook the pasta till al dente according to package instructions. Drain well and add cooked pasta, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese to the meat sauce and stir to combine.
- Cook on high for 30 minutes.
- Mix in cooked or raw spinach leaves and stir well.
- Dish and serve hot.
- Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 6 hours
Comments & Reviews
I made this last night for dinner. It was a huge hit!!
Hooray! Glad to have brought some good eats to your table, Christine! Thanks so much for dropping a note on how you liked it.
Just tried this recipe. Yum!!! Made it to the t, except I let mine go overnight, maybe 8-10 hours. Soo good. Very different tasting than I am used to, but I like it. The pasta and spinach add a little liquid if you don’t cook it first, but I liked it with the little extra. Its not much liquid, but it thins the heartiness of the sauce just a little. Overall pretty easy; good job!!
Thanks for letting us know that it works overnight, Melissa! Pasta wasn’t too soggy? Spinach does have a lot of water content but it shouldn’t be too overwhelming with the pasta sauce.
This looks yummy…I’m gonna try it this wknd and sine I’m not a big beef eater, do you think it would be okay with ground turkey?
I’ve never really cooked ground turkey before but if it behaves the same way as ground beef, then I don’t see why not!
I am making this dish tomorrow for only two of us but if I make the whole pot according to your directions could I freeze half of it, even with the noodles in it? If so how would I ‘re heat it?
Well I’m entirely new to freezing meals since food doesn’t last long enough in my house! I suppose you could freeze half of it but I’m worried if the noodles were cooked al dente, if reheated later, it might turn out mushy or soggy, you know? Especially if it freezes with the sauce. Here’s a quick guide to freezing pasta but it does not mention doing it with the sauce. Reheating should be done in the microwave! Hope this helps?
Hi Farah, This looks super delicious and super easy. It’s just me so I was wondering if I divided the ingredients in half if that will work for 4 servings? If yes, would I also reduce my cook time by half as well?
Hey Kim! Sure you can halve the ingredients for a smaller serving but the cooking time stays the same 😉 I wish cooking worked that way too! 🙂 Although if you’re in a rush you could cook it over the stove to save time. Simmer for 30 minutes on medium heat in a covered pot. That will work for a quicker version of this.
We made this and it was super yummy! I did not cook the noodles before I put them in and it turned out perfect. I put them in the last 30-40 min with about 3/4 cup water. Do you know how many calories are in a cup of this?
I’m glad someone tried it without cooking the pasta first and came back to let everyone know. Thank you, Becca! It was a good idea to add in some water so there was more sauce to coat the pasta to cook it evenly. As for the calories per cup, that’s a little bit much than the calorie generator I use can handle. I suppose the best way to would be to take the total calorie count, estimate how many cups are in the whole batch and divide it?
this has quickly become one of our favourite dishes!
My girls ask for it almost daily and take the leftovers for school lunches until it’s gone!
Speaking of which I need to go make another big pot of it as it’s been a week and the poor little things are going through withdrawls!
I loooove this comment! I thought it would be popular with the kids, especially with all that cheese and a hint of sweetness in the marinara sauce. Glad it’s keeping your girls happy!
Hi! I am having a superbowl party and this pasta seem so perfect to serve for dinner a long with that I know my guests will bring, but I will be making it stove top. how long should I cut the 6hours down to? because I figure its faster correct? Also the marinara sauce? do you recommend to buy plain marinara sauce at the store or make it at home??? sorry for the questions. I am not a huge cooker!
Sure you can do it over the stove top, I recommend at least 30 minutes simmering and let the cheeses melt before serving. You can use just plain marinara cause all the seasonings will take care of bringing it up a notch! Have fun at your Superbowl party!
I made this last night and it was amazing!!! I was pressed for time so it only cooked on low for 3 hours and I used whole wheat rotini pasta. Otherwise I followed the recipe completely. It will definitely be in my rotation. Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes.. Thanks, Farah! Happy New Year!!
Very very welcome Carly! 🙂 I like hearing how it works with variations, no matter how minor. I think of my recipes as a general road map, where you can take detours or short cuts along the way. And Happy 2015! Hope it’ll be a good year!
Hi, I made this for dinner and it was very tasty. I did not make it in the crockpot, however…just on the stovetop and it was quick and easy. Cooked pasta while the meat and sauce prepared in another pan. I used one pound of hamburger, which seemed the perfect amount to the pound of pasta. I used one bullion cube to keep the salt down, and left out the red pepper to keep my kids happy! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Ellie! This can be done in the slow cooker or on the stove top, yup! It just depends on how much time you have in the kitchen and if you want the sauce to marry longer for that tastes-even-better-the-next-day flavor!
Hello I’ve made this recipe a few
Times it’s a Fam fav! Would you recommend if I could make the day before and freeze and make another day or next?
I’m always a little nervous with freezing related questions because I don’t have much experience with it! That being said, use your discretion and what you’re comfortable with, Vicki!
Cook pasta the day before, or a week before, alcdente, refrig, and add to crock right before , 30 mins to heat thru. Pasta can be refrig for weeks or from for months cooked.
Shortcuts are always fun. Thanks, Kris! I suggest adding some olive oil before storing it in the fridge though so it doesn’t clump together 🙂 Here’s a quick guide on how to prep your pasta in advance.
oh my goodness!!! this pasta looks amazing!!! love the beef bouillon cubes and Worcestershire sauce to enhance the beef flavor. Brilliant and looks so good!!! Enthusiastically pinned! 🙂
Thanks, Alice 🙂 I love it beefy!
Oh my god this pasta looks delicious. I have never made pasta in a slow cooker before.. definitely need to make this as it is so perfect for days when I don’t feel like cooking!
It’s an easy meal to throw together, yup yup! 🙂
I wish you were my neighbor so I could smell all the yumminess coming out of your kitchen window! Love this!
Thanks, Matt! Love this compliment! 🙂
I absolutly love your site and your recipes! I just started cooking with my slow cooker a week ago, and I love it!
I wonder, how does the pasta turn out in the slow cooker? Are the penne al dente? Are they salty enough cooked that way?
I cooked the pasta al dente and put them in the slow cooker towards the end. If you cook them and put them in the beginning it’ll be super soggy. I honestly have no idea how the pasta would turn out if tossed in uncooked! But I do think there is not enough pasta to meat ratio in this particular dish to soak the pasta fully allowing it to cook properly. Theoretically you would probably have to add some liquid to coat it fully which may dilute the sauce. I have read somewhere that if you do try it, do it in the last 30 minutes or so. Don’t take my word for it though as I have personally not tested the uncooked pasta theory but if you ever do try it, let me know! I’m really curious.
It’s great just have to compensate enough liquid and stir every now and then for even cooking!
Can I use beef stock instead of bouillon cubes?
The reason I used cubes is because liquid has nowhere to go in the slow cooker so your sauce will be very diluted since it doesn’t cook down like a stove top. Typically 1 cube equals 1 cup of stock. Two would be two cups. If you prefer stock over cube, I would suggest 1/2 cup to 1 cup of stock. Eyeball it till the sauce reaches the consistency you are okay with. Good luck!