Slow Cooker Baked Mostaccioli. I had made this too good by accident. Everybody wants me to take it to potlatch now, though, the only thing anybody wants me to carry.
Servings: 8-10
Ingredients
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1 box uncooked mostaccioli pasta
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6 cups (48 ounces) canned marinara or spaghetti sauce
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Divided into 3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
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1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, halved
Slow Cooker Baked Mostaccioli: Instructions
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Grease a large oval slow cooker (5 to 7 quarts) with either non stick spray or a thin layer of oil to help prevent sticking, and to ease cleaning.
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The uncooked mostaccioli and the jarred marinara or spaghetti sauce should be combined in a large bowl. The pasta should be stirred until all the pasta is covered, this even coating enables the pasta to cook evenly in the slow cooker.
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In another bowl combine 2 cups shredded mozzarella with 1/2 cups of the grated Parmesan. This will be your corny in-between layer that is melted into the pasta during its cooking process.
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Pour approximately a third of the mostaccioli that has been sauced into the bottom of the slow cooker and form a thin layer. Evenly sprinkle half the mixture of mozzarella-Parmesan on the pasta.
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Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella-Parmesan evenly over the layer of mostaccioli that is already covered with the sauce and then add another third of the same to the cheese layer. Add the remaining one-third of the sauced mostaccioli, and pat the top with the back of a spoon.
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In a small bowl, add the rest of the shredded mozzarella (1cup) and the rest of the grated Parmesan (1/2cup). Pour this mixture thoroughly over the top of the pasta in order to form a blanket of cheese which will become golden and bubbly.
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Cook in the slow cooker covered with its lid on LOW and after 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, the pasta is tender and not mushy. Avoid opening the lid within the first 2 hours to keep heat in.
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At about 2 1/2 hours, remove the lid and test a pasta piece in the middle to check doneness. If it is still firm, cover again and continue cooking every 20 to 30 minutes until tender and cheese is melted and bubbling.
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To get a browned, bakery-like top, carefully remove the slow cooker insert (if oven-safe) and place under a preheated broiler for 3 to 5 minutes until cheese turns golden and begins to blister. Let it rest 10 minutes before serving.
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To serve, use a large spoon or spatula to scoop out the hot mostaccioli in large heaps with layers, making sure each dish has lots of cheese and sauce. Pasta should be saucy, not soupy, and cheese should be stretchy.
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