Cozy comfort in a bowl. It’s like a warm hug from the Italian grandmother you wish you had! And even better — when you walk into the house after work, your kitchen will smell like that grandmother’s Italian kitchen.
Important tips:
Use a slow cooker liner! The cheese gets super melty/sticky, and this prevents any need to clean.
Don’t add the noodles until 30 minutes before you eat. The noodles soak up the liquid quickly and get super gluggy if you let them sit too long!
Serves 4-6
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ pound lean ground beef
½ pound Italian sausage, casing removed (If you prefer no pork, just do 1 pound of beef!)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sweet onion, diced
6 cups beef broth
2 15-ounce cans pureed tomatoes (I love Pomi strained tomatoes)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups uncooked mafalde corto pasta
1/4 cup basil pesto (not required but really bumps up the flavor!)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
Fresh parsley and basil
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and sausage, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes, breaking down the meet into crumbles as it cooks. Drain excess fat. Stir in garlic and onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
Place ground beef mixture into a lined slow cooker. Stir in tomatoes, beef stock, and seasonings. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 5-6 hours. Uncover and stir in pesto and pasta. Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes, or until noodles are al dente. Season with additional salt and pepper, as needed. Turn off heat and stir in shredded mozzarella.
Ladle immediately into bowls topped with dollops of ricotta, parmesan, and fresh herbs.