Slow Cooker Pasta Bake

Easy slow cooker bolognese: Dump all the ingredients into your slow cooker (except the pasta) and let it cook on low for 7-8 hours. No browning recipe!  

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Add cooked pasta and cheese 30 minutes before the end of cooking until the cheese has melted - simples!

Slow cookers are the way to go! 

With the stupid and ever-rising high cost of fuel these days, a slow cooker costs so little to run.

They can be as cheap as £ 20, but I strongly recommend getting one that automatically switches to a 'keep warm' setting.    

I used the Morphy Richards 3.5L Easy Time Slow Cooker.  It's also available in a 6.5-litre size.

Can you put raw mince in a slow cooker?

Yes, indeed! Mix the raw mince in with the other ingredients, and switch on the slow cooker to LOW. The result will be a meltingly tender mince at the end of cooking.

Recipe Top Tips!

• Since I've skipped the browning stage, I suggest using low-fat beef mince (5% fat or less) because cooking raw mince in a slow cooker won't render out the fat.

• If your mince has a higher fat content, brown it in a pan first and drain off any excess fat before transferring it to your slow cooker.

• Avoid adding salt until the end of cooking, as it’s likely unnecessary. If the sauce isn’t sweet enough for your taste, you may want to add a bit of tomato ketchup or a pinch of sugar.

• Avoid adding red wine to the sauce, as the alcohol won't fully cook off, leaving the sauce with a bitter taste.

• Choose garlic granules or garlic powder instead of fresh garlic, as fresh garlic can sometimes retain a raw taste even after extended cooking.

• Cook until just 'al dente,' as it will continue cooking for another 30 minutes later. Drain, toss with a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking, and set aside until needed.

• Use good-quality tinned tomatoes; otherwise, your sauce will be watery. I always use Cirio tinned tomatoes.

• Do make the full recipe even if there's only one of you, as it can be frozen, so next time you have dinner in a matter of minutes!

Storage

Place the cooled bolognese in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Reheat

Reheat in the microwave until piping hot.

Freeze

This can be frozen for up to 3 months. Be sure to defrost thoroughly in the fridge before reheating in the microwave until piping hot.

Slow cooker bolognese 

Prepare the sauce ingredients as shown on the recipe card. Remove the stringy bits from the celery using a Y-Peeler.

Blend the carrot and celery in a food processor, followed by the onion.

I used the Ninja Chopper as it's easier than getting out a big food processor for such a small amount.

Dump the lot into the slow cooker - except for the salt and tomato ketchup.

Give it a good mix as you won't be taking the lid off to stir for a good few hours.

After cooking and tasting, adjust the seasoning with salt, tomato ketchup, or a pinch of sugar. Stir in the cooked pasta and sprinkle the cheese on top.

Put the lid back on, set to HIGH, and cook for another 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and the pasta is steaming hot.

Serve 

A simple side salad and my easy cheesy garlic bread recipe, or dough balls 😋

Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe card below!

slow cooker pasta bake, slow cooker bolognese pasta, dump recipe, crockpot pasta casserole,

pasta, sauce

Italian

Yield: 4

Author: Jan Bennett

Slow Cooker Pasta Bake - no browning dump recipe

Delicious, easy bolognese pasta recipe, topped with cheese.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 7 HourTotal time: 7 H & 10 M

Ingredients

Sauce ingredients

• 500g minced (ground) beef - low fat content 5%
• 1 large onion
• 2 large carrots
• 1 stick of celery - use a Y-Peeler to remove the stringy bits!
• 2 x 400g (14oz) cans good quality tinned tomatoes - I use the brand Cirio
• 1 x Knorr beef or chicken stock cube
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree (paste if you're in the US)
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1½ teaspoons garlic granules
• 1 tablespoon Worcester sauce
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• *tomato ketchup - see step 3
• *salt to taste - see step 3

30 minutes before the end of cooking

• 300g cooked rigatoni pasta - cook in boiling salted water as per packet instructions. Cook until the pasta is 'al dente,' as it will continue cooking for another 30 minutes later. Drain it, toss with a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking, and set aside until needed.
• 250g of 4 grated cheese mix - or a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella

Instructions

1. Since you won't be browning the mince beforehand, make sure to chop it up before adding it to the slow cooker; this will prevent it from clumping together.
2. Blend the onion, carrots, and celery in a food processor until finely chopped (or chop them by hand) and add them to the slow cooker.
3. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, but hold off on adding the salt and tomato ketchup for now.
4. Mix everything thoroughly, since you won't be lifting the lid to stir for quite some time.
5. For best results, cook on LOW. Switch the slow cooker to LOW and cook for 7 hours (or HIGH for 5-6 hours)
6. *At 30 minutes before the end of cooking, have a taste and add salt and tomato ketchup if needed.
7. Mix in the cooked pasta and sprinkle the cheese on top. Cover it again, set to HIGH, and cook for another 30 minutes until the cheese is fully melted.
8. Serve with garlic bread and a simple salad.

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