Slowcooker Meatball and Chorizo Pasta
Dive into a flavor-packed fiesta with this slow cooker meatball and chorizo pasta! Featuring juicy meatballs, zesty chorizo, and al dente pasta simmered to perfection, this dish is not only a breeze to whip up but also a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Perfect for cozy nights in, it’s a hearty meal that delivers comfort and satisfaction with every bite!
Prep
15
min
Cook
240
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- Fresh basiloptional
- 4 x Garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp Italian herbs (15 ml)
- 1 onion
- 3 tbsp tomato purée (45 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(3)
- 500g beef (1.1 lbs)
- 900ml of chicken stock (30.4 fl oz)
- 75g chorizo (2.65 oz)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 2 eggs
- Parmesan to topoptional
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 1 cup of breadcrumbs (240 ml)
- 350g pasta of your choice, penne, linguini or spaghetti (12.4 oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(4)
- 1 tbsp dried oregano (15 ml)
- Fresh sageoptional
- Salt and pepper
- 1 sprig of fresh thymeoptional
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 100ml red wine (3.38 fl oz)
📦Other(4)
- 1 fresh chilli to add heatoptional
- 1 tsp mild chilli powder (5 ml)
- 700g passata (24.7 oz)
- 2 tbsp Sun-dried tomatoes (30 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook the meatballs and tomato sauce in the slow cooker on high for three to four hours or on low all day.
- 2
Toss in the pasta and chicken stock, then cook for another hour.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Sear the meatballs in a hot pan for 60-90 seconds per side before adding them to the slow cooker, since the Maillard reaction only occurs above 300°F and slow cookers never exceed 210°F, meaning they'll never develop browning flavor on their own.technique300°F+ vs 210°F max
- ✓Render the chorizo separately in a skillet for 4-5 minutes before adding to the slow cooker so the paprika-infused fat renders out and can be used to bloom the spices, rather than staying trapped and diluting the sauce with excess grease.technique4-5 minutes
- ✓Add the dry pasta and stock only during the final hour of cooking, using a 1:1.25 pasta-to-liquid ratio by volume, since starches gelatinize and fully hydrate within 45-60 minutes, and longer exposure to the moist heat will blow out the noodles into mush.timing1:1.25 ratio, 45-60 minutes
- ✓Use a slow cooker with at least a 6-quart capacity when adding pasta in the last hour, since starch release can cause the liquid to foam and expand by up to 20%, risking overflow in smaller vessels.equipment6-quart minimum
- ✓Check pasta doneness at the 45-minute mark rather than waiting the full hour, since slow cooker temperatures vary by up to 20°F between brands and residual heat will continue cooking the pasta even after the lid comes off.timing45 minutes
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
240
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Slowcooker Meatball and Chorizo Pasta
Dive into a flavor-packed fiesta with this slow cooker meatball and chorizo pasta! Featuring juicy meatballs, zesty chorizo, and al dente pasta simmered to perfection, this dish is not only a breeze to whip up but also a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Perfect for cozy nights in, it’s a hearty meal that delivers comfort and satisfaction with every bite!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- Fresh basiloptional
- 4 x Garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp Italian herbs (15 ml)
- 1 onion
- 3 tbsp tomato purée (45 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(3)
- 500g beef (1.1 lbs)
- 900ml of chicken stock (30.4 fl oz)
- 75g chorizo (2.65 oz)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 2 eggs
- Parmesan to topoptional
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 1 cup of breadcrumbs (240 ml)
- 350g pasta of your choice, penne, linguini or spaghetti (12.4 oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(4)
- 1 tbsp dried oregano (15 ml)
- Fresh sageoptional
- Salt and pepper
- 1 sprig of fresh thymeoptional
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 100ml red wine (3.38 fl oz)
📦Other(4)
- 1 fresh chilli to add heatoptional
- 1 tsp mild chilli powder (5 ml)
- 700g passata (24.7 oz)
- 2 tbsp Sun-dried tomatoes (30 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook the meatballs and tomato sauce in the slow cooker on high for three to four hours or on low all day.
- 2
Toss in the pasta and chicken stock, then cook for another hour.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Sear the meatballs in a hot pan for 60-90 seconds per side before adding them to the slow cooker, since the Maillard reaction only occurs above 300°F and slow cookers never exceed 210°F, meaning they'll never develop browning flavor on their own.technique300°F+ vs 210°F max
- ✓Render the chorizo separately in a skillet for 4-5 minutes before adding to the slow cooker so the paprika-infused fat renders out and can be used to bloom the spices, rather than staying trapped and diluting the sauce with excess grease.technique4-5 minutes
- ✓Add the dry pasta and stock only during the final hour of cooking, using a 1:1.25 pasta-to-liquid ratio by volume, since starches gelatinize and fully hydrate within 45-60 minutes, and longer exposure to the moist heat will blow out the noodles into mush.timing1:1.25 ratio, 45-60 minutes
- ✓Use a slow cooker with at least a 6-quart capacity when adding pasta in the last hour, since starch release can cause the liquid to foam and expand by up to 20%, risking overflow in smaller vessels.equipment6-quart minimum
- ✓Check pasta doneness at the 45-minute mark rather than waiting the full hour, since slow cooker temperatures vary by up to 20°F between brands and residual heat will continue cooking the pasta even after the lid comes off.timing45 minutes