Using your slow cooker to make a pasta dinner sounds fantastic, doesn't it? In theory, you can throw everything into the pot in the morning, and when you get back home at night, you'll have your favorite pasta dinner ready for you.
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Unfortunately, if you do that, you are pretty much guaranteed to come home to a slow cooker full of mush. Timing is critical when making pasta. Some pasta shapes will survive being in the slow cooker for hours. Others you need to add in the final stages of cooking. Sometimes you even have to cook them separately and add them to the pot.
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This roundup will give you 15 recipes for your favorite pasta dinners and tips on how to make sure they don't turn to mush.
“A slow cooker isn’t lazy cooking. It’s just cooking that knows when to wait.”
1) Slow Cooker Baked Ziti with Rigatoni
I love making baked ziti, but when making it in the slow cooker, I like to use a larger pasta shape like rigatoni. The ridges help trap the sauce, and the pasta will hold its shape throughout cooking.
The most important part here is you can't just chuck in the pasta with the sauce in the morning. Build your sauce first, and then you can add the pasta at the end. Pasta can be overcooked so quickly, and every slow cooker is different, so keep an eye on it.
When it's ready, all you need to do is add melted mozzarella, and you've got a delicious dinner.
2) Slow Cooker Lasagna with Oven-Ready Noodles
Making lasagna in your slow cooker is actually great for weeknights if you use oven-ready noodles. They are great because they absorb moisture directly from the sauce, and you don't need to boil them first.
Don't make the mistake of using too many noodles. Try not to overstuff and get your layers nice and even. Cook it on a low heat and don't forget the resting period. It needs to rest for a short time to let the layers set. If you try skipping this step, the layers won't firm up, and you won't be able to cut a clean slice.
3) Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo with Penne
Penne is one of those great pasta shapes for making chicken Alfredo. The ridges are great for trapping the creamy sauce.
When making it in the slow cooker, though, the most important thing is the order of cooking:
1. Add the chicken and broth.
2. Add the creamy sauce towards the end.
3. The pasta only needs to be added in the last 20 to 30 minutes.
It can be tricky cooking with cream sauces in the slow cooker, as they get thicker as they cook. If your sauce gets too thick, just use some extra broth to thin it out.
All you need to do now is add the vegetable. You have a vegetable on the side, and you have a complete meal.
One of my favorite creamy pastas is carbonara, but I'm not sure I would trust a slow cooker to make that.
4) Slow Cooker Sausage and Spinach Tortellini
When making this slow cooker sausage and spinach tortellini, ensure you allow an extra 10 minutes for browning the sausage. This is an essential step. You need to brown the meat to build that deep savory flavor. Plus, doing this helps you get rid of all the excess fat so that your broth doesn't end up greasy.
You can use refrigerated tortellini, but remember it cooks super quickly, so follow the package timing. If you add your pasta too early, you will end up with a mushy texture, which is not good.
Keep the spinach until the very end, as this will wilt and cook super quickly. If you add it in too early, it will turn slimy. I like to sometimes finish this with some cream or even Parmesan to make it a little bit richer.
5) Slow Cooker Beef and Tomato Rotini
I love a good one-pot beef and tomato pasta recipe, and this slow cooker beef and tomato rotini is just what you need. Just remember that you have to brown the meat to get rid of any excess fat and stop the pasta dish from turning greasy. Simmering the meat with crushed tomatoes and broth gives a savory and rich sauce.
The trick with this one is to cook the pasta separately so that you don't ruin the texture and you can stir it in at the end. If the sauce gets too thick, thin it out with some extra broth. Give everybody some grated Parmesan at the end to add. It's a great finishing touch and lets everybody customize their own plate.
6) Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese with Elbow Pasta
Mac and cheese is a classic, and to make a slow cooker version work, you need to cook the pasta separately. You can then add it at the end, and this will keep the pasta's texture. Using a base of milk, cheddar cheese, and evaporated milk gives you a great shortcut for a rich sauce.
Don't forget you will need to stir the cheese sauce to stop it from lumping. You can do this occasionally. The fully combined dish only needs to be in the slow cooker for the final 15 to 20 minutes. It's the only way to make sure that the texture of the pasta holds up.
Pasta absorbs liquid as it sits, not just while it’s actively boiling. That’s the whole reason “cook separately, add at the end” shows up over and over in this list. It isn’t a trick so much as basic starch science, and once you understand it, you can adapt almost any pasta recipe for the slow cooker with confidence.
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7) Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Pasta with Cavatappi
Being able to get that classic chicken parm flavor without having to stand at your stove frying is a huge victory. The pasta shape is important here, and cavatappi is perfect for the slow cooker. It helps to hold onto the sauce and doesn't turn to mush.
Cook the chicken until it is tender and then add the pasta towards the end so it doesn't overcook. Don't forget to check the pasta and stop cooking when it still has some bite. Success with this dish all comes down to timing. To get that classic finish, throw some melted mozzarella and Parmesan over the pasta at the end.
8) Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup with Ditalini
Making Italian wedding soup in a slow cooker can be a little tricky. The meatballs and broth can handle being cooked all day, but the ditalini pasta can't. Small pasta tends to keep absorbing liquid even after it looks done. You need to really keep an eye on your timing for this one and add the pasta during the last 20 to 30 minutes.
Also, when you add your greens, add them in the final few minutes. This will help stop them from losing their color and becoming dull and unappetizing. As soon as the pasta is ready, serve the soup. It is best eaten this way because the pasta is so small that it can turn to mush very easily.
9) Slow Cooker Stuffed Pepper Soup with Small Shells
This deconstructed stuffed pepper soup gives you all the flavors of ground beef, peppers, and tomatoes without the need to stuff anything. You need to keep an eye on the texture.
The small shells need to be cooked for less time than the meat and the vegetables. If they are in the broth for too long, the pasta will swell and fall apart. You can avoid this easily by adding your shells at the very end to stop them from turning to mush.
This soup is actually really flexible, and you can cook the pasta ahead of time and add it to each serving.
10) Slow Cooker Creamy Pesto Chicken with Gemelli
Pesto sauces can be really difficult to work with, as they can separate if they are heated over a long period of time. To make this creamy pesto chicken work in the slow cooker, you cook the chicken in the pesto broth base, and you only stir the cream in at the very end. This will stop the sauce from splitting.
Gemelli pasta here is good, as its twisted shape helps to trap the sauce. The best way to prevent it from turning mushy is to cook it separately and fold it in just before serving so that it stays firm and has some bite. All you need to finish is a good serving of grated Parmesan.
11) Slow Cooker Turkey Meatball Orzo
This slow cooker turkey meatball orzo is great for when you need a weeknight meal done quickly. You do need to set aside some time to brown the meatballs first. This is essential for getting as much flavor into the dish as possible.
Once that's done, they can simmer in the broth and tomato sauce, and then you add the orzo towards the end. Orzo cooks very quickly, so the timing of when you add it is really important. Adding your spinach at the end so that it just gently wilts and retains its color is important too. Add some grated Parmesan and a side salad, and you have a great dinner.
Orzo means “barley” in Italian, even though it’s actually made from wheat and just shaped to look like a fat grain of rice. It’s one of the few pasta shapes small enough to eat with a spoon without anyone complaining, which in a house full of boys counts for something.
12) Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken Pasta with Farfalle
I love spicy food, but cooking something spicy for people who have different heat tolerances can get tricky, and you need a strategy. This slow cooker Cajun chicken pasta starts off using a mild level of heat, and then people can customize the dish to their own spice level at the table.
I like to use farfalle pasta. It really does hold onto a creamy sauce well. Remember to add the pasta for the last 20 to 30 minutes so it doesn't turn to mush. Keep checking it regularly, but remember to put the lid down so you don't lose heat. This one looks really impressive.
13) Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup with Ditalini
I'm a huge lover of bean soups. They are great for the slow cooker because they simmer slowly and help develop lots of flavor. They also help to fill you up and keep you satisfied.
This Tuscan white bean soup, with broth, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs, simmers together all day. The ditalini is a small pasta shape and cooks really quickly, so don't forget to add it at the end so it keeps its texture. The timing for adding the pasta is everything.
Don't be afraid to check it and pull the dish when the pasta is still firm, as it will continue to cook. The spinach will wilt very quickly, so add it in the last few minutes.
14) Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff with Egg Noodles
Remember when using your slow cooker that they all run at different temperatures. When making this slow cooker beef stroganoff with egg noodles, you need the beef and sauce to cook first. The noodles can only be added at the end so that they stay tender.
Remember that the egg noodles easily absorb liquid if you cook them for too long. I like to use wide noodles as they will stand up to the heavy sauce. Add the sour cream at the end so that you avoid any curdling.
15) Slow Cooker Marinara and Meatball Rigatoni
When making this slow cooker marinara and meatball rigatoni, you really have to add your ingredients in the right order. Your meatballs need to simmer in the slow cooker until they are completely cooked through.
The best way to ensure that your noodles don't turn to mush is to cook them separately. Sometimes throwing all your ingredients together just won't work. Fold the noodles in at the end, and they can still keep their texture and absorb flavor. Keep a little of the pasta water back in case you need to loosen the sauce.
Finish off with some Parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper for a practical weeknight pasta dish.
