Slow-Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs
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The Spruce
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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370 | Calories |
20g | Fat |
32g | Carbs |
16g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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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. |
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.
Ingredients
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1 medium onion, chopped
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1 (16-ounce) package fully cooked meatballs, frozen, can be thawed
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1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
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1 (26-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
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1 1/3 cups water
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8 ounces spaghetti pasta, broken into pieces
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Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste, for garnish
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Red pepper flakes, to taste, for garnish
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Stir and serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes if desired.
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Serve with crusty bread and a green salad and enjoy.
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