I really like cooking pasta in my slow cooker, not least because it means less equipment and less washing up. The only trick – and this is a good thing for the carb-conscious – is not to add too much pasta. A cup or so will do nicely.
Serves
4
Timings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: about 2 hours
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 small carrot, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 500g beef mince
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 x 400g tin crushed tomatoes
- 250g cherry tomatoes
- 750ml tomato passata
- 80g rigatoni or other large pasta
- finely grated Parmesan, to serve
Method
- Heat your slow cooker to high.
- Put 1 tbsp olive oil into a large frying pan and set over a high heat.
- Add 1 finely chopped onion, 3 finely chopped garlic cloves, 1 small finely chopped carrot and 1 finely chopped celery stalk, and cook for just a couple of minutes, until the onion has softened a little.
- Stir through 500g beef mince, 1 tsp dried oregano and 1 bay leaf, and fry for a few minutes, until the meat is brown.
- Stir through the 400g tin of crushed tomatoes, along with 250g cherry tomatoes and 750ml passata.
- Pour half of the meat sauce into the bowl of the slow cooker.
- Scatter in 80g pasta, keeping it away from the edges, and pour on the rest of the sauce. Cover and cook for 2 hours, until the sauce is bubbling and the pasta is tender.
- Serve in bowls, with a grating of Parmesan on top.
Recipe from The Healthy Slow Cooker by Ross Dobson (Murdoch Books, £18.99)