How Long To Cook Spaghetti Noodles In Crock Pot?

A complete meal that only requires a few ingredients, Crock Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs is ideal for a buffet or potluck.

1. Make Sauce – Brown the sausage seasoning with salt, pepper and garlic salt. Drain and set aside.
2. Add to Crock Pot – Pour one jar of sauce on the bottom of the crockpot. Place spaghetti noodles on top of sauce. …
3. Cook – Cover crock pot and cook on high for 3 hours.

A SIMPLE WAY TO MAKE A DELICIOUS DINNER

I’ve been attempting to perfect the best slow cooker spaghetti recipe for a very long time. I gave it a few tries, some of which were successful, some of which weren’t so much. It all comes down to layering it properly and preventing the noodles from emerging in a clump. The end results turned out delicious!.

TIPS FOR MAKING CROCK POT SPAGHETTI:

Some older models of slow cookers cook slower than the newer models. Also, some slow cookers have metal inserts and some have ceramic. All of this affects cooking time. In general, a metal insert will cook a bit faster than a ceramic. So adjust your time accordingly.

Frozen Meatballs don’t all seem to come in standard size packaging. In addition, frozen meatballs can be on the larger size or smaller size. So, I use an amount of meatballs for reference. If the meatballs are fairly small, you’ll want to use about 40 meatballs. If they are larger meatballs, you’ll use about half that amount.

I have not tried this recipe with homemade fresh meatballs. I’m not sure if it would work because they may fall apart during cooking or may produce too much grease as they cook. If you try it out, please let me know how it turns out for you!

Want to make this in your Instant Pot? Try my INSTANT POT SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS recipe!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

spaghetti sauce

frozen meatballs

water

Italian seasoning

minced garlic

dried basil

spaghetti noodles

olive oil

HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS:

Pour half of the jarred spaghetti sauce into a 6-quart oval slow cooker. Over spaghetti sauce, arrange the frozen meatballs in a single layer.

Over the meatballs, evenly distribute the remaining spaghetti sauce.

Then pour in 4 cups of water. Sprinkle minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and basil on top. No need to stir.

Finally, layer the spaghetti noodles on top. Its okay if they look scattered at the moment. This will help in the next step.

Distribute 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil evenly over the top of the noodles to coat.

Push the spaghetti noodles down until they are submerged, breaking them as needed to fit. ) Try to evenly distribute the sauce over each noodle. By doing this, you can prevent the noodles from sticking together as they cook.

Cover and cook on low for about 2. 5 hours (until meatballs are thoroughly heated and noodles are soft) To make sure that none of the noodles are sticking together, gently stir the noodles with a fork about halfway through.

When the pasta has absorbed the majority of the liquid and the noodles are al dente, spaghetti is prepared.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?  GIVE THESE A TRY!

Crock Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs

▢ 24 ounce jar spaghetti sauce

▢ 20 ounce bag frozen meatballs (24 count for larger meatballs and 40 count for smaller meatballs)

▢ 4 cups water

▢ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

▢ 2 teaspoons minced garlic

▢ 1 teaspoon dried basil

▢ ½ (16 ounce) box spaghetti noodles

▢ 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil

Cook Mode

In a 6-quart oval slow cooker, pour in half the jarred spaghetti sauce and do your best to spread it around evenly.

Layer the frozen meatballs in a single layer (as best as possible) on top of spaghetti sauce.

Pour the rest of the spaghetti sauce over the meatballs.

Then pour in 4 cups of water.

Sprinkle minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and basil on top. No need to stir.

Finally, layer the spaghetti noodles on top and evenly drizzle the spaghetti noodles with 2-3 tablespoon olive oil to lightly coat.

Then, gently push down the spaghetti noodles until they are under the water (breaking them if necessary to fit.)

Try to make sure each noodle is coated in the sauce. This will help to keep the noodles from sticking together while cooking.

Cover and cook on low for about 2.5 hours (until noodles are soft and meatballs are heated through).

About halfway through, gently stir the noodles with a pasta fork to make sure none of the noodles are sticking together.

Spaghetti is ready when the noodles are al dente and most of the liquid has been absorbed by the pasta.

Some older models of slow cookers cook slower than the newer models. Also, some slow cookers have metal inserts and some have ceramic. All of this affects cooking time. In general, a metal insert will cook a bit faster than a ceramic. So adjust your time accordingly.

Frozen Meatballs don’t all seem to come in standard size packaging. In addition, frozen meatballs can be on the larger size or smaller size. So, I use an amount of meatballs for reference. If the meatballs are fairly small, you’ll want to use about 40 meatballs. If they are larger meatballs, you’ll use about half that amount.

I have not tried this recipe with homemade fresh meatballs. I’m not sure if it would work because they may fall apart during cooking or may produce too much grease as they cook. If you try it out, please let me know how it turns out for you!

Want to make this in your Instant Pot? Try my INSTANT POT SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS recipe!

Any nutritional information shared by “The Country Cook” is an estimate as neither of the authors are dieticians or nutritionists. We advise running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer if calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you. The number of calories can vary significantly depending on the brands used.

Originally published: May 2015 Updated & Republished: February 2021

FAQ

How long does it take to cook dry noodles in a crock pot?

They only need to be cooked in the slow cooker for 20 or 30 minutes to be done; any longer and they will become mush. Once again, cooking time is crucial here, so frequently check for doneness and stir

Can you put uncooked noodles in a crock pot?

The uncooked noodles go straight into the slow cooker, so you don’t even have to boil them first! This easy, prep-ahead supper is a convenient option when you have hungry mouths to feed but not a lot of time.

How long should spaghetti noodles be cooked?

The most popular way to cook spaghetti is simple. Place the pasta in a large pot of boiling water, stir it, bring it to a simmer, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the pasta cook for 10 to 12 minutes. This method works perfectly fine.

When should pasta be added to the slow cooker?

Yes, you can cook pasta in a slow cooker. The important thing is to add the pasta at the very end of the cooking process to prevent it from absorbing too much liquid and becoming mushy. Pasta is typically added to the slow cooker 15 to 20 minutes before the cooking time is up.