I set this pasta before a big basketball game one Saturday afternoon, and by halftime the whole house smelled like the cheese casseroles my mother used to carry into the church basement. This is the kind of rich, stick-to-your-ribs dish that feels like it came out of an old Midwestern potluck, only it’s made in the slow cooker and uses just three ingredients. Pipe rigate pasta catches every bit of that silky cheese sauce, so when you lift the wooden spoon, the cheese stretches and steams just like the commercials. It’s the sort of simple, comforting recipe you throw together before tipoff and come back to at the buzzer, wondering if you really want to share it with anyone at all.
Serve this championship cheese pasta right out of the warm slow cooker with a big spoon, letting folks help themselves between plays. It’s wonderful alongside a crisp green salad with a sharp vinaigrette to cut through the richness, or a simple plate of sliced tomatoes and onions with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Garlic bread or buttery dinner rolls are perfect for swiping up the extra cheese from the bottom of the crock. For game day, I like to set it on the counter next to a tray of pickles, olives, and carrot sticks so there’s a little crunch and brightness to balance all that cozy, creamy comfort.
3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Championship Cheese PastaServings: 6
Ingredients
1 pound dry pipe rigate pasta
4 cups (32 ounces) whole milk
4 cups (about 16 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
Directions
Lightly grease a large oval slow cooker with a little butter or nonstick spray so the pasta doesn’t stick too much around the edges.
Pour the dry pipe rigate pasta into the slow cooker and spread it into an even layer. Do not cook the pasta ahead of time; it will soften right in the milk and cheese.
Pour the whole milk over the dry pasta, pressing down gently with the back of a spoon to make sure most of the pasta is submerged. It’s fine if a few pieces peek out on top.
Sprinkle 3 cups of the shredded sharp cheddar cheese evenly over the milk and pasta, reserving the remaining 1 cup of cheese for the finish.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 1 hour without lifting the lid. The pasta will begin to soften and the cheese will slowly melt into the milk.
After 1 hour, quickly lift the lid and give everything a good, firm stir, scraping along the bottom and corners to loosen any pasta that might be settling. The mixture will look loose at this point; that’s exactly what you want.
Replace the lid and continue cooking on LOW for another 45 to 60 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the pasta is tender but not mushy and the sauce is thick and creamy. The exact time will depend on your slow cooker, so start checking the texture around the 1 hour 30 minute mark.
When the pasta is just tender and the sauce is rich and bubbling, turn the slow cooker to WARM. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheddar evenly over the top.
Cover and let stand on WARM for 5 to 10 minutes, just until the cheese on top is fully melted and stretchy. When you lift a wooden spoon, the cheese should pull into long, golden strands and a little steam should rise up.
Give the pasta one last gentle stir if you’d like the top cheese worked into the sauce, or simply spoon it up in big, cheesy scoops straight from the slow cooker for serving during the game.
Variations & Tips
If you grew up in a Midwestern kitchen like I did, you know we can’t resist tinkering. For a deeper, more old-fashioned flavor, swap half of the sharp cheddar for Colby or American cheese, which melt very smoothly. You can also use evaporated milk for up to 1 cup of the milk if you like a slightly thicker, richer sauce. If your slow cooker runs hot, check the pasta early and add a splash more milk if it seems too thick before the noodles are tender. For a mild kick on game day, stir in a pinch of cayenne or a few dashes of hot sauce along with the first addition of cheese. Pipe rigate holds the sauce beautifully, but if you can’t find it, medium shells or elbow macaroni will work in much the same way. Leftovers reheat best with a spoonful or two of milk stirred in and warmed gently on LOW or in a covered dish in the microwave, stirred halfway, until creamy again. And if you’re feeding a crowd, you can double the recipe in a large slow cooker—just add an extra 15 to 30 minutes to the cooking time and stir well so every curve of pasta gets its fair share of cheese.
