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This easy crock pot rigatoni requires just 4 basic ingredients and is PERFECT for adding family favorite items to make it your own!
Crock Pot Rigatoni Recipe
This crockpot rigatoni recipe is ONE of the easiest slow cooker recipes I have ever made. If you've been here awhile, you know we LOVE using the slow cooker around here. Some of our favorite recipes are made in the crock, and we pride ourselves for having Slow Cooker recipes that DON'T taste like they're from a crockpot!
🍴MENU TIP: We have a two options for our Slow Cooker Menu Planning Made Easy sets. You get 72 recipes in EACH box and it has your weekly grocery list included too. These are delicious meals that will help you get dinner on the table for your family in NO time.
Slow Cooker Rigatoni (with all the fixin's) is almost like pizza in the crockpot ~ just pop it all in your crockpot (I call mine Mrs. Potts!) like a lasagna and let her do all the work. It's the lovely yumminess of crockpot lasagna – but a bit more deconstructed and no fussy layering.
We've been keeping things pretty simple around here lately, and slow cooker rigatoni was a great way to use up a few ingredients from the pantry.
Ingredients needed for slow cooker rigatoni:
- spaghetti sauce
- rigatoni pasta
- ground beef or ground sausage
- shredded mozzarella
- pepperoni (optional)
- mushrooms (optional)
- black olives (optional)
We didn't have any pepperoni to add, but this recipe still had PLENTY of flavor for us. You could even use veggie crumbles in this – really any kind of pizza topping that your family enjoys!
Here's how to make Crock pot Rigatoni:
Grab your favorite slow cooker and layer half of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the cooker. Next, add half of the pasta, half of the cooked beef, and half of the mozzarella cheese. Layer pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, or any other toppings you are using (these are optional, so skip this step if not adding any additional items).
Then add another layer of all of the ingredients. Cook on low for 3 – 4 hours and enjoy!
Slow Cooker Rigatoni Recipe
Ingredients
- 28 oz spaghetti sauce
- 12 oz rigatoni pasta cooked to al dente
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef or ground sausage cooked and drained
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella
- pepperoni optional
- sliced mushrooms black olives, or onion (optional)
Instructions
- Layer half of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Then add half the pasta, half the ground beef, and half of the mozzarella cheese.
- Layer pepperoni, mushrooms or black olives (optional.)
- Add another layer of all the ingredients.
- Cook on low 3-4 hours.
- Enjoy!
If you love this slow cooker recipe, be sure to check out our Slow Cooker Menu planning Made Easy Sets. We have a volume 1 and a volume 2, and each of the sets has 72 recipes WITH a weekly grocery list provided. You won't have to go hunting for the recipes – they're stored in gorgeous boxes for shipping or you can also purchase a metal tin for long term storage. Not to mention they're delicious!
Here are some other recipes you may enjoy!
Am I cooking the meat first?
What size slow cooker is this recipe for? I don’t want to get it ready and find there is too much to get in my cooker.
Hi Melody! I usually use a 6-7 quart crockpot. Hope that helps! 🙂
Would this work as a “freezer meal” or is it better to layer it in the crock pot fresh rather than from frozen?
Hmm, I think if you layer it in a disposable pan rather than a Ziploc you should be able to make it into a freezer meal Kim! 🙂 Would love to hear how it goes if you try it!
Do you boil the rigatoni noodles first?
Yes Michelle, you’ll want to pre-cook the noodles to al dente (or a little underdone) ~ hope that helps! 🙂
I have this in my crockpot today for dinner. First time trying it from the Crocktober recipes. I added turkey pepperoni to the ground beef layers.
That sounds delicious Mary!
I love making rigatoni & Italian sausage,
but the recipe I use is so involved and kinda expensive. This recipe is a wonderful alternative ! VERY GOOD !
Thanks for a fantastic easy pot luck meal that everyone loves! I doubled the recipe and added everything except the onions. My 7 quart slow cooker was completely full. Took it to my guild pot luck and class function Saturday and Sunday. Received rave reviews from all. Best of all I brought home an empty slow cooker. Thanks Laurie for an easy, delicious recipe.
So glad it worked for you Margie – it’s definitely one of our favorites! Amazing how much easier cooking in the crockpot can be too. 🙂