Slow Cooker Pasta Bake

Looking for the easiest family dinner EVER? My Slow Cooker Pasta Bake is for you! The Meat Sauce is slow cooked over 4 – 6 hours (depending on if you use the low or high temperature function) and then it is simply a matter of adding cooked pasta and sprinkling with cheese.

This recipe will feed 6 adults or you can freeze the leftovers. Please note this recipe has been updated.

We’ve been giving our slow cooker a good work out over the past few months (and have been loving this Slow Cooker Curried Beef and Vegetables!) as I’ve been loving how easy it is to put together a yummy family dinner. 

This recipe feeds A LOT!  It makes enough to easily feed our family of five for 2 -3 meals. Thankfully it’s also super freezer friendly, which makes it a great no fuss mid week meal to pull out of the freezer.  It’s also a great way to pack some extra vegetables into your whole family and you can easily substitute or omit any of the vegetables listed to suit your taste – and also what you have left in your fridge!

What you will love about this recipe:

Budget friendly – You can use any type of vegetables you have in the fridge AND you can bulk the meat sauce up with extra vegetables to make a batch go further.

Set and forget – Once you pop all of the meat sauce ingredients into your slow cooker, you can get on with your day before it is time to add the cooked pasta and cheese.

Freezer friendly – Store any leftovers in the freezer for an easy meal and enjoy within two months.

Feeds a crowd – You will get six adult sized serves from this recipe, if you are cooking for children you will get 2 -3 more serves and/or leftovers.

Ingredients

Please note you will find a full list of ingredients and the cooking method in the recipe card below.

• Beef Mince
• Pork Mince
• Passata – substitute with 2 x 400gram tins of crushed tomatoes if needed.
• Tomato Paste
• Vegetable Stock – can also use white wine.
• Brown Onion
• Garlic – either fresh or minced garlic can be used.
• Dried Mixed Herbs
• Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Carrots
• Zucchini
• Short Pasta – any type of short pasta can be used.
• Cheese – I used grated tasty cheese for this recipe.

How to Cook Pasta Bake in a Slow Cooker

In previous versions of this recipe I have cooked the pasta in the slow cooker with the meat sauce with great success. However results can vary depending on the type/brand of pasta being used which is why I now recommend adding the cooked pasta at the end of the recipe.

Step 1. Combine the meat sauce ingredients in slow cooker.

Step 2. Stir to combine.

Step 3. Cook for 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low.

Step 4. Add the cooked pasta and stir to combine. Top with grated cheese and return the lid to the slow cooker to allow the cheese to melt.

Recipe Hints and Tips

You can use any type of short pasta for this recipe. I like to use penne or macaroni.

Use tinned crushed tomatoes in place of the passata.

Stir the meat sauce halfway through cooking time to ensure the meat is broken up.

You can also use any type of vegetables you like for this recipe.

Freeze leftovers for up to two months.

Frequently Asked Questions

You may also enjoy:

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• The Best Slow Cooked Beef Recipe
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• Ham, Corn and Cheese Impossible Pie
• Curried Sausage Pasta
• Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
• Easy Quiche Lorraine Recipe
• Easy Thermomix Chicken Curry

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