Easy set it and forget it one pot slow cooker spaghetti and meatballs will be your go-to healthy spaghetti recipe! Everything – even the noodles! – are cooked in the crockpot and the flavor is outstanding.
Gahhhhh I am so excited to share this recipe with you. I mean, I feel like I’m pretty excited to share all of my recipes with you. In general I am kind of obsessed with all of them and I get giddy just knowing you are out there making and enjoying the same delicious food I make for my family.
But this dish I am particularly excited about because it’s a spaghetti recipe I actually like. Scratch that, spaghetti recipe that I love. And I normally do not like spaghetti. When people offered to bring dinners over right after my twins were born I would say “Yes please! Anything but spaghetti.”
I’m just a picky gal I guess when it comes to spaghetti recipes and I don’t like any spaghetti sauce straight from the jar unless you amp it up with some extra seasonings like I do in this slow cooker spaghetti recipe. I don’t like chunks of ground beef floating around in the sauce, if there’s going to be ground beef involved, it better be in the form of a meatball. Extra large meatballs with tons of flavor.
All of that is happening in this easy and healthy spaghetti dish.
And let’s not gloss over the fact that I said this is a SLOW COOKER spaghetti. Truly set it and forget it, even the noodles are cooked right in the crockpot. The key is to pop them into sauce about 15-20 minutes before you’re ready to eat – with your slow cooker set to HIGH – and they’ll be perfetly tender.
Be sure to add lots of grated parmesan cheese on top becuase, well, it’s grated parmesan cheese and that stuff makes everything taste like it came straight from heaven, am I right??
What people are saying about this Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs
“This was amazing and even better the next day!” – Shelley
“Wow this is amazing and so easy!” – Joyce
Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs
Ingredients
- 12 ounces spaghetti noodles - broken in half
- grated parmesan cheese
- fresh basil or thyme for garnish - (optional)
Meatballs
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Sauce
- 1 24 ounce jar marinara sauce
- ⅓ cup packed fresh basil - finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Instructions
- In a medium bowl combine ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix with your hands until mixture is blended. Form mixture into 12 balls. Set aside.
- In a greased slow cooker, combine marinara sauce, basil, garlic, and Italian seasoning and stir. Arrange meatballs on top of sauce. Cover and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6 hours on low.
- Uncover and use a fork or tongs to transfer meatballs to a plate. Add noodles to slow cooker making sure the noodles are covered by the sauce. Return meatballs to slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on high 15-25 minutes until noodles are softened. Give it a stir, then top with fresh basil or thyme and grated parmesan cheese. Serve hot.
My husband loves spaghetti. And I love that this is made in the slow cooker!
So sweet. I like how you put it.
hey girl- this looks so yummy! Y’all have a great weekend!
Excellent photography!
This was really good! But I had to add more sauce because there wasn’t enough for the amount of spaghetti?? Any thoughts?
Hi April! I’ve never had that issue with this recipe before! Did you use the full 24 oz jar of marinara sauce?
We had the same issue, not enough sauce. I didn’t add the full 12 oz pasta and it was ended up gummy. The flavor of the sauce and meatballs was tasty though. Next time I think I will cook the pasta separate and place in the slow cooker while al dente and mix into the sauce for a few minutes.
oing to try again in my instant pot on slow cook function. Most importantly, the sauce and meatballs are deeeelish 🙂
I take it all back!!! I just had to cook a long time, I think because I originally cooked on low and it took awhile to heat up fully to high (hot enough to properly cook the pasta.) I think I just have an old crappy slow cooker 😉
Wow this is amazing and so easy