Place the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat on your stove. Use your wooden spoon to break it into small crumbles and cook until it is fully browned.

Carefully pour the cooked beef into a colander to remove all the excess grease and fat. This step keeps your pasta dish from feeling too oily or heavy after it finished cooking.

Add the diced onion and garlic to the slow cooker along with the cooked ground beef. The heat from the beef will start to soften the onions and release their sweet flavor.

Sprinkle the dry ranch seasoning over the meat and stir in the condensed cream soup. This mixture creates the thick and savory base that makes the pasta so incredibly flavorful.

Add the beef broth to the crockpot and stir everything together until the sauce is very smooth. Ensure the meat is well-covered so it stays juicy during the long slow-cooking process.

Set your crockpot to the low setting and cook the beef mixture for four hours. Cooking on low allows the ranch spices to deeply infuse into the meat and the creamy sauce.

Stir in the uncooked pasta shells during the last thirty to forty minutes of the cooking time. Make sure the shells are mostly submerged in the hot liquid so they cook evenly.

Once the pasta is tender, stir in the sour cream to add a rich and velvety texture. The sour cream balances the salty ranch flavor with a nice, cool, and tangy note.

Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese over the top and stir it gently into the hot pasta shells. The cheese should melt quickly, creating a gooey and irresistible sauce that coats every shell.

Turn off the slow cooker and sprinkle fresh parsley or green onions over the top. Serve the warm pasta in deep bowls while the cheese is still stretchy and the beef is tender.