Crock Pot Pasta Recipes

Crock pot pasta recipes are among the quickest of all slow cooker meals, and there are some things you can do to speed them up even more.

Generally, pasta doesn't like long cooking times - it loses its shape and becomes a bit mushy if cooked for too long.

The best type of pasta to cook in a slow cooker is made from 'durum' wheat which keeps its shape well better than pasta made with eggs. Look for 'pre-cooked' or 'no-boil'.

Fresh pasta, which has to be boiled in plenty of water, doesn't work well in a slow cooker.

Starting from cold, medium pasta shapes will take two hours on the high setting. Whole wheat pasta will take a few minutes more. Small pasta shapes will take about 20 minutes on high.

The quickest way to make crock pot pasta recipes is to pre-heat the slow cooker on high, pre-cook the ingredients in a pan, and place everything, including the dry pasta in the crockpot for 45 minutes. Remember to add more water to the sauce if using this technique because the pasta will absorb it.

Crockpot Spaghetti

This crock pot pasta recipe for spaghetti is almost a staple dish and is very easy to make. Recipes for slow cooker spaghetti sauce allow the flavours to blend because of the long cooking time, so the garlic becomes less pungent and the herbs more subtle.

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

Crockpot macaroni and cheese is easy and quick to make and everyone enjoys it. The recipe is a little different from oven cooked macaroni and cheese. An egg is needed to bind the ingredients together and this makes for a firmer texture.

Crockpot Lasagna Recipe

This crockpot lasagna recipe is pretty easy to make. The main thing is to buy noodles suitable for a crockpot lasagne. The ones to go for can be found in the dried pasta section, where they will be labelled either 'pre-cooked' or 'no need to pre-cook'. They can also be found pre-cooked in the chiller section.

Slow Cooker Tips

Fill cooker to at least half full, but not more than two thirds

Almost cover the ingredients with liquid for good transfer of heat

Lifting the lid during cooking will lose heat, increasing cooking time, and causing moisture loss

If using sugary ingredients, either use a liner or non-stick spray to make cleaning easier

Defrost ingredients before cooking

Place ingredients that are slower to cook, such as root vegetables, at the bottom of the cooker

Cooking on 'high' takes half as long as cooking on 'low'

If you had a power cut, there is no way of knowing if food is cooked properly. Throw it out

Don't re-heat food in a slow cooker

Cheaper, tougher cuts of meat will be tenderised in a slow cooker

Soak dried beans for twelve hours and boil for ten minutes before adding to the cooker to remove toxins

Adding a little liquid and pre-heating the cooker gives food a fast start