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Ground Beef Cooked Slowly For many years, our family has enjoyed making mostaccioli. On those long, cold days when you just want to eat something that will warm your soul, this spaghetti recipe is ideal. Immigrants from Italy brought their cherished recipes to the Midwest, where they were expertly combined with regional specialties to create mostaccioli. A wonderful, simple, and flavorful dinner is born when you put this dish in a slow cooker and let the flavors simmer for hours. This recipe brings back fond memories of Sundays spent at Grandma’s home, when the comforting scent of sizzling cheese and simmering sauce wafted through the air.
Crisp green salad and buttery garlic bread are the perfect accompaniments to this entrée. The salad’s brightness is a welcome contrast to the heavy pasta, and the garlic bread is ideal for soaking up the sauce’s taste. Steamed green beans or a basic vegetable medley would provide a colorful and nutritious side dish that would round out the dinner.
PAID LISTING
Makes 6 servings of ground beef mostaccioli in a slow cooker.
What You Need:
ground beef, one pound
Chopped onion, one medium-sized
2 minced garlic cloves
One sliced green bell pepper
One jar of marinara sauce, measuring 24 ounces
One can of chopped tomatoes (15 oz.)
dried oregano, 1 teaspoon
dried basil, 1 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon of salt
one-half teaspoon of black pepper
Uncooked mostaccioli pasta, 2 cups
Tossed mozzarella cheese, 2 cups
1/4 cup of Finely grated Parmesan
What to do
The first step is to cook the ground beef in a big pan over medium heat until it’s done. Extract the fat.
Toss in some chopped garlic, bell pepper, and onion and sauté until the veggies are soft.
Third, put the meat and veggie combination in the crock pot.
4. Combine the diced tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper with the marinara sauce. Stir to combine.
5. Cook, covered, over a low heat for four hours.
6. After 4 hours, combine the mostaccioli pasta with its uncooked portion. Make sure the sauce coats the pasta well.
Scatter the grated Parmesan and shredded mozzarella cheese over the top.
8. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for another hour, or until pasta is al dente and cheese is melted and bubbling.
9. Take a bite while it’s hot!
Tips and Variations
Swapping up the ground beef with ground Italian sausage gives it a new flavor profile and a little more heat. Substitute extra veggies like spinach, mushrooms, and zucchini for the beef if you’d like a vegetarian version. Some people prefer to add a little red wine to the sauce to bring out its full tastes, while others like to add a little red pepper flakes for more spice. To accommodate those who are gluten intolerant, feel free to use pasta made from whole wheat. Take pleasure in trying different things and creating this dish uniquely yours!
