Crockpot Spaghetti
Crockpot spaghetti is hearty and filling, with a meaty tomato sauce, plenty of cheese, and fresh herbs for that perfect finishing touch.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 16 ounces lean ground beef or turkey
- 1 cup finely chopped onion (1 medium yellow onion)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken or beef broth
- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes (see note)
- 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano (or 3 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pkg. (16 ounces) uncooked spaghetti (classic spaghetti, not thin or thick)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, optional
- fresh basil or parsley, chopped (for garnish, optional)
Instructions
- Spray crockpot with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a skillet over medium heat, combine ground beef (or turkey) and onions. Cook, breaking up meat, until meat is browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add garlic to the skillet and cook for another minute, stirring.16 ounces lean ground beef or turkey, 1 cup finely chopped onion, 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Transfer the cooked beef, onion, and garlic to the crockpot.
- Add the broth, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, salt, black pepper, bay leaf to the crockpot. Stir to combine.2 cups low-sodium chicken or beef broth, 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes, 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, or to taste, 1 bay leaf
- Add uncooked spaghetti (break in half if needed) and press down to submerge all the pasta, making sure the pasta is coated with sauce and isn’t clumped together.1 pkg. (16 ounces) uncooked spaghetti
- Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours (see note).
- Discard the bay leaf and adjust the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Stir the spaghetti well, separating any pasta that is stuck together.
- If desired, add mozzarella cheese. Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes on low, or until cheese is melted.1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, optional
- Serve garnished with chopped fresh basil or parsley if desired.
Video
Notes
- Reduce sodium: To reduce sodium, choose no-salt-added canned tomatoes, which have a small fraction of the sodium contained in regular canned tomatoes.
- Sweeter sauce: If you like your pasta sauce less tangy with a hint of sweetness, add brown sugar to the sauce, to taste.
- Shortcut: Substitute a 28 oz. jar of pasta sauce for the crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper. You'll still need to add the diced tomatoes and broth.
- Cooking tip: If you can, stir the spaghetti halfway through cooking time to separate the spaghetti strands. I found that it will still turn out if you don’t do this, but it cooks more evenly if you’re able to give it a stir.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cups | Calories: 556kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 614mg | Potassium: 1121mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 590IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 218mg | Iron: 6mg
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