If you need to cook this for longer: 1. Make meat sauce as directed and add to slow cooker. DON'T add pasta. Cook on LOW for anywhere from 4-8 hours. 2. Open lid and stir in broken, uncooked spaghetti. Mix together well, top with cheese, then cover and cook on HIGH for 30-40 minutes. Check spaghetti for doneness, and cook a bit longer if needed.

2 lbs ground chuck (80/20 is what I use)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
5-7 cloves garlic, minced
1 (26 oz) jar of marinara sauce, your favorite brand
1 (15 oz) can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 - 1 tsp dried basil
1/2 - 1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
pinch of sugar, to counteract the acidity of the canned tomatoes
8 oz dried spaghetti pasta, broken into thirds
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
fresh parsley or basil, minced, for garnish
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

2 lbs ground chuck (80/20 is what I use) 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 5 -7 cloves garlic, minced 1 (26 oz) jar of marinara sauce, your favorite brand 1 (15 oz) can of fire roasted diced tomatoes 1/2 cup water 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning 2 tsp balsamic vinegar 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/2 - 1 tsp dried basil 1/2 - 1 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 8 oz dried spaghetti pasta, broken into thirds 1 -2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Heat a large skillet over MED to MED-HIGH heat with a small drizzle of oil. Add ground beef and onion and cook 5-6 minutes, until beef is cooked through, crumbling as you cook. Drain meat/onion mixture and return to skillet.

2. Reduce heat to MED-LOW, add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes. Add marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, water, Italian seasoning, balsamic vinegar, thyme, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir to combine well.

3. Spoon meat mixture into lightly greased 6 quart slow cooker. Top with broken spaghetti and stir together. Top with shredded cheese, cover and cook on LOW 4 hours.

4. Serve garnished with fresh parsley or basil and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese if desired.