Easy Slow Cooker Spaghetti Dinner
15 Comments Aug 11, 2017
Updated Jan 20, 2023
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No pre-cooking required with this Easy Slow Cooker Spaghetti Dinner. Sliced sausage replaces ground beef in this delicious sauce.
Table of Contents
Time for back to school recipes! This one you are going to love. No pre-cooking meat for your spaghetti sauce. Instead of ground beef, I use smoked sausage or any sausage from the kielbasa section of the store. I use my favorite Newman’s marinara, canned diced tomatoes, seasonings, onion and bell pepper. These ingredients simmer all day for a great homemade tasting sauce. After the cooking time is over, I boil one pound of spaghetti noodles on the stove top and add it right into the sauce. There is plenty of sauce so the noodles don’t get dry. Lots of sauce is a must for my spaghetti since the soaking up the sauce with bread is part of the experience.
Below are the ingredients in the slow cooker before cooking.
Below is what the sauce looks like after cooking for 8 hours on low and cooked spaghetti noodles added.
Grab a bag of salad and French bread at the store, and dinner is ready to serve.
Are you ready for school? We have about a month before school starts and I have all the shopping to do still, plenty of time I suppose. I hope you put this meal on your rotation, it’s delicious!
Here are more pasta night recipes for your slow cooker:
- Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce
- Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
- Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken Fettuccine
- Slow Cooker Lemon Pesto Chicken
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Easy Slow Cooker Spaghetti Dinner
Ingredients
Sauce ingredients
- 14 oz. smoked sausage , (or kielbasa), sliced
- 48 oz. marinara, (Two-24-oz. jars)
- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, do not drain
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup onion, (one small onion), diced
- 2 tsp garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 2 tsp. dried leaf oregano
- 2 tsp. dried leaf basil
For serving:
- 1 lb. dried spaghetti, cooked according to package directions.
- parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Add everything to the slow cooker (except spaghetti and cheese), stir.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.
- Toward the end of the cooking time, prepare the noodles according to the package directions.
- Once the noodles are cooked, drain them and add the to the sauce, stirring well.
- Turn off the slow cooker immediately after adding the noodles, they will continue to cook if left on and will turn mushy.
- Serve the pasta topped with parmesan cheese and enjoy!
How to Video
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
The very first sentence says no precooking necessary, yet the recipe says to cook the spaghetti; I guess it means you don’t have to precook the meat. Can it be done without cooking the spaghetti first? How would you need to adapt the recipe? Thanks!
Hi! I don’t recommend cooking noodles in the slow cooker. They get chalky and mushy (the slow cooker never gets to a full boiling point). Though you can, if you want. At the end probably for 30 minutes.
Trying it right now and doing it in four
hours and not cooking the dry spaghetti
first ! Also dropped in fresh basil!
I use pecorino Romano rather than
Parmigiana!
Let you know how it turns out! Thanks
You’re a life saver. Love your recipes!!
oh thank goodness I was just going to ask about the four hours and it’s already in the pot seems to be working just fine though I added baby spinach leaves and cauliflower curds and I only had one jar of Newman’s in the pantry so I supplemented with some bruschetta and it’s really working so far I’ll update you in the end after everyone eats & how the 4 hrs works out thank you
Hi Sarah. This looks delish. Do you think I could do it on high for 4 hours? I’m thinking of doing it for tonight and I don’t have that much time for it to be ready.
I think that would work fine!
Hi Sarah… I just made this today and it really is a great recipe. The sausage is a nice, different touch to my “normal” spaghetti.
I do have one inquiry, if you will. I couldn’t find Newman’s Own Marinara in 16 oz… Just 24 oz. so I just bought the one jar and used it. Where to find 16 oz. jars?
I’m glad you liked it. I found mine at Fred Meyer (Kroger). You can use any brand of marinara. 🙂
Hi Laura! It is supposed to be 24 ounce jars, my mistake. I went to make it again today and noticed. Apparently it’s an adaptable recipe!
I love slow cooker recipes…..but there are only 2 of us to cook for now. Would it work if I cut the recipe in half? I do have a 4 qt. crockpot.
I think cutting it in half would work fine 🙂
Can you freeze leftovers? And if so how long. Id love to double batch and freeze for pop in company
looks yummy Sara. Can’t wait to try it. All your recipes look great
Thank you Karen 🙂