Serves 10
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. On a nonstick baking sheet, spread out the diced onion and garlic. Place in the hot oven for 10 minutes, stirring once. When the onion has begun to sweat, soften, and brown a bit on the edges, scrape the contents of the baking pan into the insert.
Add all 4 cans of diced tomatoes and the tomato paste. Stir in ⅓ cup of water and the Italian seasoning. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for about 5 hours. Stir again, and add a bit more water, if necessary, to thin the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
I usually don’t like cooking before I slow cook, but taking the time to roast the onion and garlic in the oven before slow cooking all day really kicks this pasta sauce up a notch. This pasta sauce freezes quite well, and can easily be thinned with a touch of water or wine when reheated.
Serves 4 to 6
Use a 6-quart slow cooker sprayed with cooking spray. Add the ground meat and onion to a large skillet on the stovetop over medium heat and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until browned. Drain any accumulated fat. Pour the pasta sauce onto the meat, and retain the jar. Put about ⅓ of the frozen ravioli into the prepared insert, and add about ⅓ of the meat sauce. Top with a handful of the cheese. Repeat the layers until you run out of ingredients. Put the warm water into the empty pasta sauce jar, seal it, and shake. Pour the tomatoey water evenly over the top. Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours or on High for about 3 hours.
I practically burst into tears the first time I saw ready-made gluten-free ravioli at our local Costco. If you aren’t gluten-free, go ahead and use your favorite variety. This is a terribly easy way to have ravioli without having to keep an eye on the stovetop. If you’d like to add mushrooms or sliced vegetables to the mix, go for it! Serve with garlic bread and a large green salad.