Easy Meaty Ziti

Serves 4

Cooking Time 2 to 3 hours on High

Slow Cooker Size 5½ to 7 Quarts

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Our Easy Meaty Ziti has all the flavor and depth of a sauce that’s been on the stovetop all day—but none of the work. And because the ziti cooks right in the sauce—we simply toasted it in the microwave with a little oil to ensure that every forkful was perfectly tender—you don’t even need to bring a pot of water to boil. We tried a variety of canned tomato products for the sauce, but only jarred marinara delivered long-simmered depth of flavor. Meatloaf mix ensured that our sauce tasted meaty and hearty, and cooking it briefly in the microwave helped to render its fat, which we drained off to avoid a greasy sauce. For herbal notes, we added a little Italian seasoning. Stirring in a little more marinara sauce, plus some hot water, at the end of cooking guaranteed a saucy dish with fresh flavor. Victoria Marinara Sauce is the test kitchen’s favorite brand; click here for more information. Meatloaf mix is a prepackaged mix of ground beef, pork, and veal; if it’s unavailable, use 8 ounces each of ground pork and 85 percent lean ground beef. Click here for more information on cooking pasta in the slow cooker and making a foil collar. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.

1	pound meatloaf mix
½	teaspoon Italian seasoning
1	(25-ounce) jar marinara sauce (3 cups)
2	tablespoons tomato paste
	Salt and pepper
8	ounces (2½ cups) ziti
2	teaspoons olive oil
1½	cups boiling water

1. Microwave meatloaf mix and Italian seasoning in bowl, stirring occasionally, until meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Break up any large pieces of meat with spoon, then drain off fat; return to now-empty bowl. Stir in 2 cups marinara sauce, tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.

2. Line slow cooker with aluminum foil collar and spray with vegetable oil spray. Microwave ziti and oil in bowl at 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until some pieces look toasted and blistered, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer hot pasta to prepared slow cooker and immediately stir in boiling water (pasta will sizzle). Stir in meat and sauce mixture, cover, and cook until pasta is tender, 2 to 3 hours on high.

3. Remove foil collar. Gently stir in remaining 1 cup marinara sauce, adjusting sauce consistency with extra hot water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.