Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs

Name: Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 5 to 6 servings
Cuisine: american, italian
Ingredients: 1/4 cup tomato paste; 3 tablespoons dry red wine; 1 cup panko bread crumbs; 1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (about 1/2 bunch); 4 ounces grated Parmesan (1 to 1 1/4 cups), plus more for serving; 1/2 medium onion, coarsely grated (about 1/3 cup); 2 large eggs, lightly beaten; 2 tablespoons whole milk; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar; 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes; Kosher salt and black pepper; 1 pound bulk fresh sweet or hot Italian turkey sausage; 1 pound ground beef (10 to 20 percent fat); 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes; 2 sprigs fresh basil, plus more for serving; 1 pound dried spaghetti, for serving

By Sarah DiGregorio

Published Jan. 30, 2020

Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs — Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

Total Time: 4½ hours
Rating: 4(821)
Comments: Read comments

Using a mixture of uncased sausage and ground beef is the trick to achieving tender, flavorful meatballs without a lot of work or extra ingredients. These three-inch meatballs are oversize, so they can stay moist and tender after cooking for an extended period. This way, they also fit in the slow cooker in one layer, which helps them cook evenly. Choose any kind of turkey sausage you like best; sweet or hot Italian are both great choices. (Pork will work too, but will make the sauce a little oily.) Fear not, the spaghetti is cooked separately, so you can serve these meatballs over any long noodle for a traditional take, or spoon them over polenta or tuck them into hero rolls.

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share
Print Options
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:5 to 6 servings

¼cup tomato paste
3tablespoons dry red wine
1cup panko bread crumbs
1cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (about ½ bunch)
4ounces grated Parmesan (1 to 1¼ cups), plus more for serving
½medium onion, coarsely grated (about ⅓ cup)
2large eggs, lightly beaten
2tablespoons whole milk
2garlic cloves, finely chopped
2teaspoons red wine vinegar
½ to 1teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Kosher salt and black pepper
1pound bulk fresh sweet or hot Italian turkey sausage
1pound ground beef (10 to 20 percent fat)
1(28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2sprigs fresh basil, plus more for serving
1pound dried spaghetti, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

Step 1
In a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, whisk together the tomato paste and red wine. In a bowl, stir together the panko, parsley, Parmesan, grated onion, eggs, milk, garlic, vinegar and red-pepper flakes. Season with ¾ teaspoon salt and a generous amount of black pepper.
Step 2
Add the sausage and ground beef to the panko mixture, and gently mix using your hands just until all the ingredients are uniformly combined. (Don’t overmix, or you’ll end up with tough meatballs.) Form the mixture into 7 (3-inch) gently packed meatballs, and place them in the slow cooker. (They should fit snugly in one layer.) Pour the crushed tomatoes all over the top of the meatballs, then add the basil sprigs to the slow cooker. Cover, and cook on low for 4 hours.
Step 3
When ready to serve, cook the spaghetti according to the package directions in boiling, salted water and drain. Increase the slow cooker heat to high. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meatballs to a bowl. Discard the basil sprigs from the sauce. If there is more oil on the surface of the sauce than you’d like, use a ladle to skim it off and discard it. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss to coat the pasta evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the meatballs back to the slow cooker and stir gently to combine. Serve the spaghetti and meatballs with more grated Parmesan and torn basil leaves for topping.

Ratings

4 out of 5

821 user ratings

Have you cooked this?

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

rob5 years ago

I wouldn’t add the basil until just before serving the meal—the flavor won’t survive heat for very long.

Emily W4 years ago

Made this with Impossible meat & vegan italian sausage and it was DELISH

CYW4 years ago

Made with hot Italian sausage and regular bread crumbs. Forgot to add Panko, fresh basil, and parsley to my grocery list -- oh well. Added an extra cup of crushed tomatoes to increase the sauce ratio, sprinkled dried basil over everything and let it cook. I made 15 generous meatballs. I'm always dubious of slow cooker recipes but this one is a winner. Should not have added the red pepper flakes, given that I used spicy sausage. Not a deal breaker though...

Anne1 month ago

Fun, quick, and easy to make, but I didn't want to serve giant meatballs, so made 1.5 inch meatballs rather than the 3 inch meatballs called for by the recipe. However, I somehow wound up with 26 meatballs, and not the 14 I expected? I'll be glad to put some of the leftovers in the freezer. I agree with other commenters: next time I'll add more sauce and play with the seasoning. It's a keeper.

Ryan3 months ago

Very forgiving recipe- I forgot the parmesan in the meatballs and these were still dynamite. Kids went wild for it. A go to for days when you have a half hour for setup midday and want to just boil the pasta and get dinner on the table.

az4 months ago

Delicious recipe. I used a Wegmans beef/veal/pork combo to make my meatballs and used dried basil because I didn’t have fresh stuff. I always double the Garlic too, and the family loved it.

Private comments are only visible to you.