One Pot Wonder: Just 5 ingredients. Spaghetti and meat sauce cooks together perfectly without boiling water.

1. Brown the ground beef: In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat. (If you’re really short on time, you can skip browning and crumble the raw beef straight into the slow cooker, but browning adds better flavor and texture.)

2. Add to the slow cooker: Transfer the cooked ground beef to the slow cooker. Pour in the marinara sauce and beef broth, then sprinkle in the Italian seasoning. Stir everything together until well combined.

3. Start the sauce: Cover and cook the meat sauce mixture on LOW for 3–4 hours or on HIGH for 1.5–2 hours. This gives the flavors a chance to meld and the beef to get nice and tender.

4. Add the spaghetti: About 45–60 minutes before you plan to eat, stir the sauce, then add the dry spaghetti, breaking the noodles in half so they fit. Press the pasta down into the liquid, making sure it’s mostly submerged. If it looks too dry, add an extra 1/2 cup of broth or water so the noodles can cook evenly.

5. Finish cooking: Cover and cook on HIGH for 30–45 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the spaghetti is tender but not mushy. If the pasta sticks together when you first stir it, gently separate the strands with tongs or a fork.

6. Adjust and serve: Once the spaghetti is cooked, give everything a good stir. If the sauce is thicker than you like, splash in a bit more broth or water; if it’s too thin, leave the lid off for 5–10 minutes to let some liquid evaporate. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, then serve hot, topped with grated Parmesan or red pepper flakes if you have them on hand.

Variations & Tips