Crockpot Spaghetti

This Slow Cooker Spaghetti recipe lets you cook the pasta and sauce all together in your crockpot. Just brown up the meat, add everything to your slow cooker (including the uncooked noodles), and let it do the work. It’s filling, flavorful, and perfect for busy weeknights.

If you love easy pasta dinners, try my Easy Homemade Meatballs or this Slow Cooker Creamy Italian Chicken with Pasta. You can find more family favorites in my Pasta Recipes collection.

Before You Get Started

A few things to know before you start cooking:

• Brown the meat first. Cooking the ground beef and sausage before adding them to the slow cooker gives you better texture and flavor. You can even do this a day or two ahead and store it in the fridge until you’re ready.
• Follow the layering order. The order matters here. Sauce goes in first, then meat, more sauce, water, spices, and noodles on top. This helps the pasta cook evenly.
• Stir the noodles halfway through. A gentle stir about halfway through cooking keeps the noodles from clumping together.
• Use a quality pasta. A sturdy, higher-quality spaghetti holds up better in the slow cooker and won’t get mushy as easily.

For the sauce, you can use your favorite jarred marinara for convenience, or make it from scratch with my Homemade Marinara Sauce or Homemade Spaghetti Sauce if you have a little extra time.

RECIPE WALK-THROUGH

How to Make Spaghetti in a Slow Cooker

See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions

All you need to do is cook up the meat and then add everything (including the uncooked pasta!) to your slow cooker. Here’s how it comes together:

Step 1 – Cook the Meat

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and Italian sausage, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks. 

Cook until no longer pink, then drain off the excess grease. 

This step builds flavor and gives the meat a better texture in the finished dish.

Step 2 – Layer Everything in the Slow Cooker

Sauce — Pour one jar (48 ounces) of sauce into the bottom of a 6 to 7 quart slow cooker. 

Meat + More Sauce — Add the cooked meat on top, then pour in the second jar of sauce. 

Water + Spices — Add the water and sprinkle the spices (basil, oregano, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and bay leaves) over the top. 

No need to stir yet.

Noodles — Place the dry spaghetti noodles on top and gently push them down so they’re fully submerged in the liquid. Make sure all the noodles are covered, or any exposed ends may stay hard.

For extra flavor, swap some or all of the water for low-sodium chicken broth. You can also use beef broth for half of the liquid, but go easy since it has a stronger taste.

Step 3 – Slow Cook Until Tender

Cover and cook on LOW for about 2½ hours. About halfway through, give the noodles a gentle stir to make sure they aren’t sticking together.

The spaghetti is done when the noodles are soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed. If the noodles still seem firm, cover and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, checking often so they don’t overcook.

Step 4 – Serve and Enjoy

Remove the bay leaves before serving. Top with freshly grated parmesan if you like, and enjoy!

• You can keep the spaghetti warm on the “Warm” setting for up to an hour after cooking. Add a splash of water if it starts to look dry. I don’t recommend keeping it warm longer than that, since the noodles can get mushy.

Recipe Variations

• Make it spicy. Use hot Italian sausage instead of mild and add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the other spices.
• Add cheese. Stir in shredded mozzarella or a few dollops of ricotta when the spaghetti is almost done cooking for a creamy, cheesy twist. Fresh grated parmesan on top is always a good idea too.
• Swap the broth. Replace the water with low-sodium chicken broth for extra flavor, or use half beef broth for a richer, heartier taste.
• Try a different meat. Ground turkey works well here if you want a lighter option. You can also skip the sausage and use a full pound of ground beef.
• Short on time? Make this in the pressure cooker instead with my Instant Pot Spaghetti recipe.

What to Serve with Crockpot Spaghetti

This spaghetti is hearty enough on its own, but a few simple sides make it a complete meal:

• Homemade Garlic Breadsticks
• Easy Garlic Bread
• Garlic Cheese Toast
• Classic Bruschetta
• Caesar Salad
• A simple green salad with Italian dressing

More Easy Pasta Recipes

• Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
• Slow Cooker Lasagna
• Million Dollar Spaghetti
• Creamy Four Cheese Spaghetti
• Creamy Italian Chicken with Pasta

Recipe

Crockpot Spaghetti

4 from 6 votes

Kristin Maxwell

This Crockpot Spaghetti cooks the noodles and meat sauce all together in your slow cooker for an easy, hands-off dinner. Just brown the meat, layer everything in the pot, and let it do the work.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Servings 6

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Ingredients

  

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• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage
• 48 ounces marinara sauce 6 cups
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 16 ounces spaghetti noodles uncooked
• 4 cups water or low sodium chicken/beef broth

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Instructions

 

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and sausage, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks. Cook until no longer pink, then drain off the excess grease.
• Pour one jar of marinara sauce into the bottom of a 6 to 7 quart slow cooker.
• Add the cooked meat on top of the sauce.
• Pour the remaining jar of sauce over the meat, then add the water. Sprinkle the bay leaves, basil, oregano, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt over the top. No need to stir.
• Place the dry spaghetti noodles on top and gently push them down so they are fully submerged in liquid.
• Cover and cook on LOW for 2½ hours, stirring the noodles gently about halfway through to prevent clumping.
• The spaghetti is done when the noodles are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Notes

• Don’t skip browning the meat. It adds flavor and improves the texture.
• Use a quality pasta. A sturdier noodle holds up better in the slow cooker.
• Layering matters. Sauce first, then meat, sauce, water, spices, and noodles on top.
• Stir halfway through. This keeps the noodles from sticking together.
• Check early to avoid mushy noodles. Start checking around 2 hours. Pull it as soon as the pasta is tender.
• Add broth for extra flavor. Swap some or all of the water for low-sodium chicken or beef broth.
• Keeping warm. You can hold on Warm for up to 1 hour. Add a splash of water if it dries out.
• Storage. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended as the noodles may become mushy.

Nutrition

Calories: 536kcalCarbohydrates: 70gProtein: 26gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 1583mgPotassium: 1076mgFiber: 6gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 991IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 5mg

Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.

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