Spray the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker lightly with nonstick cooking spray for easier cleanup (optional but helpful).
Pour the entire jar of marinara or tomato pasta sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it out evenly.
Add the frozen Italian-style meatballs on top of the sauce, spreading them into an even layer so they’re mostly nestled into the sauce.
Frozen meatballs sitting in marinara sauce inside a slow cooker
Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or on LOW for 4 hours, until the meatballs are heated through and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
Stir the meatballs and sauce together.
Add the uncooked penne pasta, pressing it down gently with a spoon so as much of the pasta as possible is coated and submerged in the hot sauce and meatball juices. If your sauce is very thick and doesn’t quite cover the pasta, stir in 1/2 to 3/4 cup hot water so there’s enough liquid to cook the noodles.
Dry penne being stirred into saucy meatballs in the slow cooker
Cover and cook on HIGH for 25 to 40 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the penne is tender but not mushy. Slow cookers vary, so start checking at the 20–25 minute mark; the sauce should be bubbling and the pasta should be thickening the sauce as it cooks.
Once the penne is cooked to your liking, give everything a final gentle stir so the savory tomato sauce and meatball juices coat all the noodles. Turn the slow cooker to WARM and let it sit 5 to 10 minutes to thicken slightly before serving.
Taste and adjust if desired with a pinch of salt, black pepper, or a sprinkle of dried Italian herbs (these are optional extras and not required). Serve hot straight from the slow cooker.
Finished meatball penne inside the slow cooker ready to serve
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