slow cooker spinach pasta

Here’s an easy, creamy Slow Cooker Spinach Pasta—simple, comforting, and mostly hands-off 🍝🌿

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Slow Cooker Spinach Pasta

Ingredients

• 12 oz uncooked pasta (penne, rotini, or ziti)
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes or 1½ cups marinara sauce
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• Salt & black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups fresh spinach (or 1 cup frozen, thawed and squeezed dry)
• 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella (optional)
• 2 tbsp olive oil

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Instructions

1. Layer Ingredients
   • Add broth, tomatoes (or marinara), onion, garlic, olive oil, seasoning, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker.
   • Stir to combine.
2. Cook the Sauce
   • Cover and cook on LOW for 3–4 hours or HIGH for 1½–2 hours.
3. Add Pasta
   • Stir in uncooked pasta, making sure it’s submerged.
   • Cover and cook on HIGH for 20–30 minutes, stirring once halfway.
4. Finish
   • Stir in cream, spinach, Parmesan, and mozzarella.
   • Cover and cook 10–15 minutes until spinach wilts and pasta is tender.
5. Serve
   • Taste and adjust seasoning.
   • Serve hot with extra Parmesan.

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Tips & Variations

• Extra protein: Add cooked chicken or Italian sausage at the start.
• Garlic lover: Add roasted garlic at the end.
• Vegan: Use coconut cream and nutritional yeast instead of dairy.
• No mushy pasta: Add pasta only near the end and check early.

If you’d like, I can also give you a dump-and-go version, spinach Alfredo style, or slow cooker lasagna with spinach 😄