Description
This Crockpot Pizza Pasta is a hearty and comforting one-pot meal combining lean ground beef, flavorful marinara, tender pasta, and melty cheese, all cooked slowly in a crockpot for an easy and delicious dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Dairy
- 1 pound lean ground beef (93% lean)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 20 slices turkey pepperoni
Pasta and Sauce
- 12 ounces uncooked rotini pasta
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
Vegetables & Seasonings
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Optional: 1/2 cup sliced black olives or mushrooms
Instructions
- Brown the beef: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until browned, seasoning it with garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Once cooked through, drain the fat and set the beef aside.
- Combine ingredients in crockpot: In a 6-quart crockpot, add the browned ground beef, marinara sauce, low-sodium beef broth, finely chopped onion, diced green bell pepper, and Italian seasoning. Stir everything together thoroughly to mix the flavors evenly.
- Add pasta and pepperoni: Stir in the uncooked rotini pasta, making sure it is fully coated in the sauce mixture. Then, arrange half of the turkey pepperoni slices evenly on top.
- Cook pasta: Cover the crockpot with the lid and cook on low heat for 3 to 4 hours. About halfway through the cooking time, stir the pasta gently and check for doneness to ensure it cooks evenly without sticking.
- Add cheese and finish cooking: Once the pasta is tender and cooked through, sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese evenly over the top. Add the remaining pepperoni slices on top of the cheese. Cover and continue cooking for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese has fully melted and is bubbly.
Notes
- For a vegetarian version, omit the ground beef and turkey pepperoni, and add extra veggies like mushrooms or olives.
- Use gluten-free pasta to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Make sure to stir halfway through cooking to prevent pasta from sticking to the bottom.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop or microwave.
- Adjust seasoning according to taste, especially salt, if using broth or marinara with higher sodium.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Crockpot, Pizza Pasta, Slow Cooker, Comfort Food, Easy Dinner, Ground Beef, One Pot Meal
