This easy 3 cheese crock pot baked ziti recipe simmers the homemade meat sauce while it cooks your raw pasta. With lasagna-style flavor, only 20 minutes of prep, then your slow cooker does the rest — perfect for weeknights or casual family meals.
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Featured Comment by Kathleen:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I have made this several times for my Husband. He is a very picky eater…he absolutely loves this!!! It is a 5-star rating for us!!"
🧡 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Raw pasta cooks in the sauce – skip the extra pot of boiling water.
- Three cheeses – ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan for gooey layers.
- Homemade sauce – rich tomato meat sauce simmers as it cooks.
- Lasagna-style flavor – all the taste, half the effort.
- Weeknight easy – just 20 minutes of prep, then hands off until dinner.
👨⚕️ DrDan Says:
This baked ziti recipe is one of my personal favorites. I love a well-made lasagna, but this crock pot version gives me all the flavors I crave without the sweat.
🥣Ingredients
- Ground beef – or swap in part or all Italian sausage for extra flavor.
- Cheese trio – ricotta for creaminess, mozzarella for gooey melt, Parmesan for sharp bite.
- Crushed tomatoes – the base of your homemade sauce.
- Aromatics – garlic and onion, sautéed with the meat.
- Pasta – ziti (classic) or penne (easier to find, cooks the same).
- Egg white – binds the ricotta mixture.
- Pantry spices – parsley, basil, salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes.
👨🍳 Quick Overview: Crock Pot Baked Ziti
1. Prepare the meat sauce & cheese mix
Brown ground beef with chopped onion and garlic (about 9–10 minutes). Drain excess fat from the meat.
Stir ricotta with egg white, Parmesan, parsley, and salt (don’t overmix).
Mix crushed tomatoes with basil, red pepper flakes (optional), salt, and pepper. Stir in the cooked meat to finish the sauce.
2. Layering the pot
Spread meat sauce in the bottom, then add half the pasta.
Spoon on half the ricotta mixture and sprinkle with mozzarella.
Repeat the layers once more, then finish with the remaining meat sauce and mozzarella.
3. Cook
Cover and cook on low for 4–5 hours. Check pasta after 3 hours and again near the end — crock pots vary. Stop early if pasta is tender to avoid overcooking.
👇 Scroll down for the printable recipe card with step-by-step photos — or keep reading for pro tips, veggie add-ins, and serving ideas.
⏲️ How Long to Cook
- On low (recommended): about 4 hours. Check at 3 hours since crock pots vary — stop early if pasta is tender.
- On high (not recommended): about 2 hours. Check at 1 hour and again at 90 minutes if you must use high.
- Pasta size matters: smaller pasta tends to cook a little faster than larger shapes.
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🍝 Pasta Tips
Cooking pasta in a crock pot can be tricky since every slow cooker runs a little different. The pasta itself is the biggest variable:
- Stick with similar pasta each time so you learn how it cooks in your crock pot.
- Smaller shapes cook faster than larger ones. Penne usually works well (package time 12–14 minutes), but extra-small pasta can turn mushy.
- Avoid short-cook pastas and be cautious with whole wheat or gluten-free pasta — results can be unpredictable.
- Check early. Stop cooking as soon as the pasta is tender to prevent overcooking.
✔️ Meat and Sauce Options & Variations
Meat tips:
- Ziti at our house almost always has meat, but you can leave it out.
- Ground beef, Italian sausage, ground chicken, or ground turkey all work.
- Always brown the meat before adding it to the crock pot — raw meat turns clumpy and greasy. Browning also gives you a chance to sauté the onion and garlic.
Sauce tips:
- My homemade tomato sauce gives the best flavor, but jarred marinara works if you’re short on time.
- Add vegetables like bell peppers, mushrooms, or spinach for more bulk and flavor.
- Adjust the seasoning to your taste — basil, oregano, or a pinch of red pepper flakes.
↕️ Scaling for Two or Family Size
This recipe is naturally cooking-for-two friendly, but it scales up or down easily:
- Use the recipe card to cut the servings in half or double them.
- Follow the adjusted ingredient list — the instructions won’t auto-adjust.
- For a half recipe, use a 2-quart mini crock pot. Watch the pasta closely — small slow cookers often run hotter, so check early and often.
- For a double recipe, use a 6- to 7-quart slow cooker.
- Cook times stay about the same, but always check the pasta early since crock pot temperatures vary.
🍅 Crock Pot Italian Recipes
You may also like these crock pot Italian favorites:
Crock Pot Italian Chicken Pasta
Delicious Crock Pot Italian Chicken Pasta is loaded with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, tender chicken, and pasta. It is cooked in an easy homemade marinara sauce that cooks the dry pasta and chicken while it simmers. You will love this cheesy Italian bake.
🥗 Serving & Leftovers
- Serve with a green salad and garlic bread — classic Italian comfort.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat in the microwave or covered in the oven. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating if frozen.
❓FAQs
Baked ziti is a classic Italian-American pasta bake made with tomato sauce, cheese, and ziti noodles. In my house, it usually includes meat, but it can be made meatless too.
Ziti has straight-cut ends and is slightly larger. Penne is a little smaller with angled ends. They cook the same and can be used interchangeably — I often use penne since it’s easier to find.
Yes, jarred marinara will work, but the homemade sauce in this recipe has much better flavor. If you use jarred, taste and adjust the seasoning.
Yes, simply skip the meat and use just the tomato sauce and cheeses. You can also add vegetables like mushrooms, spinach, or bell peppers for more flavor and texture.
It’s possible, but not recommended. On high it takes about 2 hours, but the pasta can overcook quickly. For best results, stick with low and check early.
📖The Recipe Card
Crock Pot Baked Ziti (Easy 3 Cheese Slow Cooker Pasta)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef - or Italian sausage
- 1 small onion - chopped
- 2 cloves garlic - crushed
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 egg white
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese - grated
- 1½ teaspoons salt - divided
- ½ teaspoon dry parsley
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 1½ teaspoons basil
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper - optional
- 2 cups dry ziti noodles - or penne
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese - shredded
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Brown the Meat — Chop 1 small onion. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown 1 pound ground beef (or Italian sausage). Add the onion after 3–4 minutes. Add 2 crushed garlic cloves in the last minute. Cook until no longer pink, about 9–10 minutes total. Drain excess fat.
- Mix the ricotta layer — In a bowl, combine 1 cup (8 oz) ricotta, 1 egg white, ¼ cup grated Parmesan, ½ teaspoon dried parsley, and ½ teaspoon salt; do not overmix.
- Make the sauce — In a medium bowl, mix 28 oz crushed tomatoes, 1½ teaspoons dried basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- Stir in the drained cooked meat to finish the meat sauce. Add ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper if you like a little heat.
- Layering — Spray a 3- to 4-quart (or larger) slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Spread about 1½ cups of meat sauce over the bottom. Add 1 cup uncooked ziti (or penne).
- Dot with half of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle ½ cup shredded mozzarella.
- Second layer and top — Repeat the first lay: 1½ cups meat sauce, 1 cup uncooked pasta, the remaining ricotta, and ½ cup mozzarella. Top with the remaining meat sauce and 1 cup mozzarella.
- Cook — Cover and cook on LOW for 4–5 hours. Check the pasta at 3 hours and again near the end—slow cookers vary. Stop early if the pasta is tender to prevent overcooking.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- For scaling and crock pot sizes (half-batch in a 2-quart mini, double in a 6–7 quart), see the Scaling section in the post.
- The pasta goes in uncooked. Standard ziti or penne works best. Very small shapes, whole-wheat, or gluten-free pastas can be unpredictable.
- Variables like cooker temperature and pasta shape matter most—check early and more than once.
- DO NOT SKIP CHECKING THE PASTA EARLY, midway, and near the end. Many pastas go from undercooked to overcooked fast.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Inspired by a Pioneer Woman recipe for Baked Ziti, it is a bit more lasagna-like than some recipes with ricotta and Parmesan cheeses and was not a crock pot recipe. I adapted.
Editor's note: Originally published December 5, 2013. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Kathleen says
Hi Dr Dan! I have made this several times for my Husband. He is a very picky eater---AND - - - he absolutely loves this!!! It is a 5 star rating for us!! Thank you very much for sharing your talents. 😊❤️
Gail says
My hubby hates cottage cheese or ricotta could I do this with all mozzarella or a combination of mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Gail,
I'm sending you an email also.
Without the ricotta, I would increase the Parmesan to 1/2 cup and add maybe add a half cup more of mozzarella. Mix all that in with the rest of the Mozzarella with the salt and parsley. Skip the egg. Increase the cheese between layers to 3/4 cup. This should work but I have not do it.
Dan
Charlotte says
Made this recipe last week (the ricotta and sausage sauce) but had to freeze both and use a week later due to time restraints. Put the recipe together yesterday after thawing and cooked as directed, it turned out divine! Delicious and will make again!
Sara says
howdy all, i am cooking this 'as we speak', i want to say that this recipe could go either way because i didn't really measure - but i LOVE pasta ! you take noodles, ricotta cheese and sauce = world peace in my book !
i have never made a meat sauce before (thank you Dr Dan for showing me how). the container of ricotta was 15oz and i used the whole thing, i also used some cottage cheese and about 14 oz of mottz, and to make sure it wasn't dry, as some other folks posted, i added a splash of jar sauce that was already in the fridge.
i love the idea of using uncooked noodles, i will let you know how this turns out.
thank you for teaching me something new.
Sara
oh, as for the pasta, i used store brand ziti noodles, 2+ cups, it didn't quite us the whole box (wish it did), but i didn't have another can of crushed tomatoes to add the needed moisture.
Sara says
Dr Dan, (sorry for the late update) - my Ziti turned out great. i also think it was a little dry, i think this is just personal preference. i kept a small bowl of sauce on the table for people to add if they wanted. the noodles cooked perfectly and the homemade sauce was delicious ! thank you for another great dinner.
Monica says
I liked it. I had to cook it on high For 2-1/2-3 hours, as I started it too late in the day. I feel like it came out too dry. I did not use wheat penne, maybe the recipe calls for too much? If I make again I will try maybe a bit less pasta. I also tweaked the ingredients up a bit, I used cottage and added more mozzarella, and used half ground beef and half Italian sausage.
Dan Myers says
Just made this, and after 5 hours on low, the noodles aren't even close to being cooked. Followed the recipe exactly. :(
Franc says
Hi Dan,
Everyone at the church luncheon loved the Baked Ziti...even my picky husband. I would have preferred making the day of serving, but it worked out ok. I took it out of refrigerator a few hours prior to reheating, partially reheated and then finished it off plugged into the crock pot in the parish hall while we were at mass. I even had a request for the recipe.
Thank you for the recipe Dan.
Fran says
Hello Dan,
The Baked Ziti is in the Crock as I write. I love the layering. I’m still questioning the dry pasta. Time will tell.
I am bring it to a church luncheon tomorrow. I’m wondering what is the best way to reheat it in the morning; we leave the house about 10 am?
Pending recipe rating for taste, but process was 5 stars.
Thanks for the recipe.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Fran,
Welcome to the blog.
The dry pasta works well if it is a standard quality brand. I have done it many times.
Reheating... I usually don't have much in the way of leftovers. But I would reheat like a casserole. Covered tight in a casserole dish in a 350 oven for about 30 minutes or a bit more until hot.
I would NOT reheat in the crock pot. They have been known to break when reheating things like this. I do cheat some with soup or chili but rarely.
Dan
Susan says
This is my second time making crock pot ziti. This time I used half beef and half sweet Italian sausage. My family and friends loved this lasagney-ziti, cheesey and filling. Served 8 with a leftover serving for me! Wonderful, easy and fun to make. Add garlic bread and some salad: perfecto! Thank you for sharing this recipe.