Perfect Pasta in the Crock Pot

By Ken Kudra

Perfect pasta can be made using your crock pot. With a few tips, you will get delicious pasta every time. There are many different ways to make pasta with crock pot recipes. It all depends on what recipe you are making.

Putting on the Kettle

In some recipes, it is recommended to cook your pasta completely before adding it to your recipe. Alternatively, your crock pot contents might be served on a bed of noodles. You may find this works well with stroganoff, roasted meats with sauces, and other similar recipes.

Some recipes may ask you to partially cook your pasta in boiling water until it is just barely tender. They then suggest adding the semi-cooked pasta to the crock pot for the last half hour or so of cooking. You may use this technique with dishes like chicken Alfredo, casseroles and other meals. This method allows the noodles to finish cooking in the crock pot, soaking up some of the flavors in the sauce.

Cooking your pasta separately is more work. Instead of just sitting down to your meal, you need to heat the water and spend the time cooking your pasta just right. This is one way to make sure you have perfect noodles every time. This will not work for every recipe, however.

Cooking Pasta in the Crock Pot

You will find some recipes are meant for uncooked pasta. While these recipes mean less work for you, the pasta will still need to be added near the end of the total cooking time. This technique would work well for a chicken noodle soup recipe, goulash or ramen. Most pasta should be added about 30 to 60 minutes before serving. For ramen, it only needs to cook on high for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Some recipes require you put the pasta in at the beginning, with the other ingredients. Crockpot lasagna is one example. You can also make an incredible macaroni and cheese in the crock pot, but do not leave it for eight hours. This is a recipe that will be done somewhere between 90 minutes and 2 hours. You can also make baked ziti, stuffed pasta shells, and other similar dishes. Be sure to watch the time on these dishes. They probably will not take all day to cook, and you do not want to end up with mush instead of pasta.

So, pasta can easily be made in the crock pot. You just have to know which approach to take for the best results. Pasta is delicate, and should not be overcooked. Sometimes it takes two or three times to perfect a new recipe.

With a little practice, you will be making wonderful pasta for your family with your handy crock pot. You will be enjoying comforting, hot pasta that tastes terrific and your family will love. - 30289

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