Slow-Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs

By
Linda Larsen
Linda Larsen
Linda Larsen is a journalist, quick-cooking and slow-cooking expert, and accomplished cookbook author with over 30 years of experience in testing and developing recipes.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 09/3/21
Slow cooker spaghetti and meatballs

The Spruce

 
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 6 hrs
Total: 6 hrs 5 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
370 Calories
20g Fat
32g Carbs
16g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 370
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 26%
Saturated Fat 6g 32%
Cholesterol 54mg 18%
Sodium 1244mg 54%
Total Carbohydrate 32g 12%
Dietary Fiber 6g 23%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 16g
Vitamin C 13mg 63%
Calcium 144mg 11%
Iron 3mg 19%
Potassium 881mg 19%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This fabulous recipe for slow-cooker spaghetti and meatballs tastes like something from a restaurant. It's perfect to serve to your family and comforting and delicious enough to serve to guests. The best part is it's so easy and is made completely in a slow cooker. 

Be sure that all of the pasta is completely covered with liquid when you put it into the slow cooker so it softens with the heat and moisture; any pasta that sticks out of the liquid will not cook properly and will be too tough and hard. Note that when the spaghetti is added, the dish will need to cook for an additional 15 to 25 minutes.

You can use plain spaghetti or whole-grain pasta in this recipe. Just cook it until the pasta is al dente, or "to the tooth." That means the pasta is tender, but still firm. The center of each thin strand should be opaque, not white, and the pasta should taste cooked.

This recipe is perfect as-is, but you could add more veggies to the sauce if you'd like. Some chopped bell peppers, grated carrots, or garlic would be delicious and healthy additions. To make things easier, prepared cooked meatballs are used here, but homemade cooked meatballs will work just fine. 

Serve this dish with some toasted garlic bread and a green salad tossed with tomatoes and mushrooms. A glass of red wine also would be wonderful. For dessert, serve some brownies or chocolate chip cookies for an easy and complete meal.

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Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 1 (16-ounce) package fully cooked meatballs, frozen, can be thawed

  • 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes

  • 1 (26-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

  • 1 1/3 cups water

  • 8 ounces spaghetti pasta, broken into pieces

  • Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste, for garnish

  • Red pepper flakes, to taste, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Spaghetti and meatballs in the slow cooker ingredients
    The Spruce 

  2. In a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker, place the onions (and any other vegetables you'd like to add, if you are using others) in the bottom of the cooker. Top the vegetables with the meatballs and​ diced undrained tomatoes.

    meatballs, tomatoes and onions in a slow cooker
     The Spruce

  3. Add the spaghetti sauce to the mixture in the crock pot and stir gently. Rinse out the spaghetti sauce jar with the water, add it to the crock pot, and stir again.

    Spaghetti sauce and meatballs in a slow cooker
     The Spruce

  4. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or on high for 3 1/2 hours, until the onions are tender and the meatballs are hot.

  5. Stir the spaghetti sauce mixture well, then add the broken spaghetti. Stir and make sure that all of the spaghetti is separated and is completely covered by the sauce.

    Putting spaghetti in a slow cooker with meatballs and sauce
     The Spruce

  6. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 15 to 25 minutes, or until the spaghetti is al dente (tender to the bite, but with a slight firmness in the center). You have to taste the pasta to make sure it is properly cooked.

  7. Stir and serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes if desired.

    Slow cooker spaghetti and meatballs
     The Spruce

  8. Serve with crusty bread and a green salad and enjoy.