Making Pasta in the Crock Pot

Delicious pasta dishes are only a crock pot away. While it is true that pasta can be a bit tricky in the crock pot, with a little knowledge you will soon be turning out perfect pasta. There are several ways you can do pasta when you use the crock pot, and it all depends on what recipe you decide to make.

Preparing Pasta Separately

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.

Other recipes may suggest that you cook your pasta until it is just a little tender before adding it to the crock pot. The pasta finishes in the pot with the rest of your meal for the last half hour or so. This approach works well with dishes like casseroles, chicken Alfredo, and similar recipes. Because the noodles finish up in with the sauce, they will soak up the flavors and seasonings that have been cooking all day.

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.

Tossing it in the 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.

You will also find recipes that need the pasta added at the very beginning. An example of this type of dish would be crock pot lasagna. Macaroni and cheese is also nice and creamy in the crock pot, but it is a dish that only takes about 90 minutes to 2 hours to cook. Leaving it any longer will result in mushy noodles. Baked ziti, stuffed shells, and thicker casseroles will have this requirement. Watch your cooking time, because these dishes often do not take all day to cook. Overcooked noodles will be soft and shapeless.

Pasta does just fine in the crock pot. All you need to do for success is to use the right approach for each recipe. Pasta is more delicate than something like beans, so keep an eye on the cooker until you know how the recipe will work. Sometimes it may take a few times to get it right.

You will soon be feeding your family delicious meals featuring pasta from your crock pot. Pasta is true comfort food, and it has never been easier.

Every chicken soup recipe that you try will be a little different. Almost every cuisine in the world has their own version of this soup. Try some for some nice variations. Your family will enjoy trying new flavors and you’ll be keeping them happy and healthy.