I accidentally made this too good. Now it's the only thing anyone wants me to bring to potluck.

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.

Serve this slow cooker baked mostaccioli straight from the crock on a sturdy farmhouse-style table, with a big green salad dressed in a sharp vinaigrette to cut through the richness. Warm garlic bread or a crusty Italian loaf is perfect for swiping up the extra sauce and melted cheese. For a fuller spread, pair it with roasted vegetables—broccoli, Brussels sprouts, or carrots—or a simple antipasto plate with olives and marinated peppers. A light red wine, like Chianti or a fruity Zinfandel, or even sparkling water with lemon, balances the cozy, cheesy comfort of the dish.

1 pound uncooked mostaccioli pasta

Lightly grease a large oval slow cooker (5 to 7 quarts) with nonstick spray or a thin film of oil to help prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.

In a large bowl, combine the uncooked mostaccioli and the jarred marinara or spaghetti sauce. Stir well until every piece of pasta is thoroughly coated; this even coating helps the pasta cook uniformly in the slow cooker.

In a separate bowl, mix 2 cups of the shredded mozzarella with 1/2 cup of the grated Parmesan. This will be your cheesy middle layer that melts into the pasta as it cooks.