The \u201cCrowd-Favorite\u201d Slow Cooker Pasta BakeThe Foundation\u00a01 lb Ground beef (or Italian sausage for more kick)\u00a01 box (16 oz) Short pasta (Ziti, Penne, or Rigatoni)\u00a01 jar (24 oz) High-quality Marinara sauce\u00a01 can (15 oz) Diced tomatoes (undrained)\u00a01\/2 cup Beef broth or water\u00a0The Cheesy Layers\u00a01 container (15 oz) Ricotta cheese\u00a02 cups Shredded Mozzarella (save half for the top)\u00a01\/2 cup Grated Parmesan\u00a01 Large egg (to bind the ricotta)\u00a0The Flavor Boosters\u00a03 cloves Garlic, minced\u00a0\u0625\u0639\u0644\u0627\u064621 tsp Dried oregano or Italian seasoning\u00a01\/2 tsp Red pepper flakes (optional)\u00a0Fresh parsley for that \u201cprofessional\u201d garnish seen in your photo\u00a0InstructionsBrown the Meat: In a large skillet, brown the ground beef or sausage with the minced garlic until fully cooked. Drain the excess grease.\u00a0The Ricotta Mix: In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, the egg, the Parmesan, and half of the mozzarella. Add your Italian seasoning and a pinch of salt\/pepper.\u00a0The Assembly: In your slow cooker, stir together the cooked meat, the marinara sauce, the diced tomatoes, the broth, and the uncooked pasta. (Yes, uncooked\u2014the moisture from the sauce and broth will cook it to a perfect texture).\u00a0The Swirl: Drop large dollops of the ricotta mixture onto the pasta and gently swirl it in with a spoon. Don\u2019t over-mix; you want those pockets of creamy cheese.\u00a0The Slow Cook: Cover and cook on Low for 3 to 4 hours. Check at the 3-hour mark; the pasta should be tender but not mushy.\u00a0The Finishing Touch: About 20 minutes before serving, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the top. Cover it back up until the cheese is bubbly and melted.\u00a0The Garnish: Hit it with that fresh chopped parsley right before the first person dives in.\u00a0Pro Tip: If you want that golden-brown crust on the cheese like in your photo, you can carefully pop the removable ceramic insert into the oven under the broiler for 2-3 minutes at the very end. Just make sure your specific slow cooker pot is oven-safe!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The \u201cCrowd-Favorite\u201d Slow Cooker Pasta BakeThe Foundation\u00a01 lb Ground beef (or Italian sausage for more kick)\u00a01 box (16 oz) Short…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18448,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18447","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n