This 4-ingredient slow cooker baked mostaccioli is the kind of happy accident every home cook secretly hopes for. I threw it together for a winter potluck—using pantry pasta, jarred sauce, and plenty of cheese—and it came out so comforting and gooey that now it’s the only dish I’m allowed to bring.
Mostaccioli, a tubular pasta similar to penne but traditionally used in Italian-American baked casseroles, holds the sauce beautifully and stands up to slow, gentle cooking. The slow cooker mimics the low-and-slow oven-baked method, giving you tender pasta with a golden, stretchy cheese top and almost no effort.
