So, I Ate This... Slow-Cooker Baked Spinach and Mushroom Rigatoni

I'm in love with my crock pot. Like an unhealthy, obsessive kind of love, because I'll make anything in it.

Last night I made Slow-Cooker Baked Spinach and Mushroom Rigatoni from Real Simple May 2013. Even though it goes against everything I stand for, I tried it. Looks delicious, right? Yeah... about that...

This is not my photo. It belongs to José Picayo. I got it from realsimple.com. I don't take pictures this nice.

It was, um, underwhelming. Yeah, underwhelming. Like other reviewers, my macaroni didn't cook properly, and there definitely was not enough sauce. And it sure as hell didn't look like the picture above. I mean, it has potential, but as written it was just blah.

Confession: I did not make the recipe exactly as written.

I know, I know, you think I should have followed it exactly at first and then make changes the second time around. But it's a crock pot recipe, and a measly 3/4 tsp of salt isn't going to cut it. So I added a shit ton of salt, doubled the garlic, more pepper, some red pepper flakes, oregano and basil. Basically the same stuff I would use if I was making a baked pasta in the oven.

So this is what I would do differently:

1. Double the sauce. Triple it if you like it saucy. I might even make a sauce on the stove top, just to get the flavors right and all. Maybe I'd go so far as to saute the onions and mushrooms and add the tomatoes and spices to that.
2. Use crushed or diced tomatoes. You're going to crush them anyway, why not cut out the middle man?
3. Cream the ricotta and mozzarella, just as if you were making a lasagna. Throw in an egg and some nutmeg. Shit. Nutmeg. I should have used nutmeg.
4. Layer it like a lasagna. Sauce, macaroni, veggies, cheese, repeat. That's basically what it is, lasagna in a crock pot with macaroni instead of noodles.
5. Maybe use fresh spinach? The heat will wilt it and you could save time. Ain't nobody got time to thaw and squeeze frozen spinach.

More work? Yes. Better results? Maybe. One day I'll give it a shot and let you know.