If you’re looking for an easy pasta dinner or a slow cooker meal that is great for feeding large groups, Crock Pot Baked Ziti is perfect! You cook everything in the slow cooker, including the pasta!
Crock Pot Baked Ziti
It’s true! You don’t have to cook the pasta before adding it to the Crockpot for this recipe! The pasta sauce will cook the pasta while it’s all in the slow cooker!
If you make this baked ziti without using any italian sausage or ground beef, it will truly be a one pot, drup and go dinner. If you’re using meat, you will need to brown it first but that’s super easy!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Hands-Off Cooking: The crock pot does all the work for you—just layer the ingredients and let it cook, perfect for busy days or weeknights. If you use meat, you will need to brown it before, but you can even do that the night before so in the morning, you have a dump and go recipe!
- Major Comfort Food Vibes: Slow cooker baked ziti is cheesy and hearty, making it a perfect family-friendly comfort food dinner idea.
- Easy Cleanup: Made in one pot, cleanup is quick and simple, saving you time and effort in the kitchen. You can also use slow cooker liners to make cleanup even easier!
Ingredients & Equipment
The ingredients list for this is a little bit longer than some recipes, but most of it is just to add extra flavor. You can also just opt for your pasta, meat, sauce, and cheese to keep it super simple.
Here is what you need to make this recipe:
- Penne (or ziti) pasta
- Ground Italian sausage
- Yellow onion, chopped
- Garlic, minced
- Italian seasoning
- Spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce
- Ricotta cheese
- Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Fresh parsley for topping, if desired
Exact measurements for each ingredient can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
You’ll also need some kitchen equipment:
- 6 QT Slow Cooker
- Skillet
- Chef’s Knife
- Cutting Board
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
Step By Step Directions
This recipe makes 8 servings. It takes about 15 minutes of prep time and 4 hours of cook time.
Step 1. Chop the onion.
Step 2. In a large skillet, brown the Italian sausage. Just before it is finished, add the onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Cook 2-3 minutes more.
Step 3. Add the the sausage, dry penne pasta, ricotta cheese and 1¾ cups of mozzarella cheese to the slow cooker. (Reserve ¼ cup of mozzarella for topping.)
Step 4. Pour over the pasta sauce.
Step 5. Stir to combine all of the ingredients. Put the lid on the slow cooker.
Step 6. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, until noodles are al dente.
Step 7. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over top and let cook for 5-10 additional minutes, until the cheese is melted.
Leftovers Storage & Reheating
Any leftover baked ziti can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I do not recommend freezing leftovers.
You can reheat in the microwave in 30 second increments until heated through.
Tips & Tricks
- If you don’t have italian sausage, you can also use a pound of ground beef. I actually end up getting ground beef most of the time and the pasta bake still turns out great.
- You can sneak veggies into this recipe too. Mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, and finely chopped kale or spinach work well!
- You can also add more heat to this recipe by adding red pepper flakes.
- You can use different types of pasta to make this “baked ziti” recipe. I generally use penne because actual ziti noodles can be hard to find around here for some reason. Shorter and smaller pasta works best because it’s less likely to stick together. You can try rigatoni, mostaccioli, elbow macaroni, rotini, penne, and ziti for this recipe.
- Serve with a salad and garlic bread to make a complete family dinner!
FAQs
Can I use cottage cheese instead of ricotta cheese in this recipe?
Yes, you can. Cottage cheese is commonly used as a substitute for ricotta in baked ziti and lasagna. They have very similar textures.
Can I use ground beef or ground turkey for Crockpot baked ziti?
Absolutely! You can substitute a pound of either for the ground italian sausage.
More Slow Cooker Pasta Dishes
Ingredients
- 1 lb penne or ziti pasta
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage
- ½ yellow onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon Minced garlic
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 48 ounces pasta sauce
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh parsley for topping
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown the Italian sausage. Just before it is finished, add the onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning, and cook 2-3 minutes more.
- To your crockpot, add the sausage mixture, dry pasta, ricotta cheese, and 1 ¾ cups of the mozzarella cheese (reserve ¼ for topping).
- Pour over the pasta sauce.
- Mix well to combine all of the ingredients.
- Cook on low for 3-4 hours, until noodles are al dente.
- Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over top and let cook until the cheese is melted.
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