Delicious Crock Pot Baked Zit has delicious meat sauce, three kinds of cheese, plus uncooked pasta baked in the slow cooker. You can have the best Italian pasta for dinner tonight.
You may confuse it with the taste of the best lasagna. It is perfect for special casual family meals or an easy dinner without spending all day in the kitchen.
🥣Ingredients
Ground beef—or Italian sausage
Cheese—ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella
Tomatoes—crushed
Aromatics—garlic and onion
Pasta—ziti or penna pasta
Egg—white only
Pantry ingredients—parsley, basil, crushed red pepper (optional), salt, and pepper
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Featured Comment from 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!!"
It is outrageously good, with gooey melted cheese, great meat sauce, and tender pasta—now you can have the best-baked ziti—loaded with wonderful tasty meat sauce, tender pasta, and three types of cheese.
This recipe takes about 20 minutes of prep and 4 hours of crock pot time. Using uncooked pasta saves a step, but mainly to prevent the mushy texture of crock pot pasta recipes.
👨🍳How to Make Crock Pot Baked Ziti
Use the pasta you want—usually ziti or penne pasta.
Start by placing 1 pound of ground beef over medium-high heat to brown. Then chop one small onion, crush two cloves of garlic, and add while the meat is browning. Cook until no longer pink. It takes about 9-10 minutes.
Combine 1 cup (8 oz.) ricotta cheese with one egg white, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, ½ teaspoon dry parsley, and ½ teaspoon salt—do not over-mix.
To a medium mixing bowl, mix 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, 1 ½ teaspoon basil, optional red pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper—mix well.
Drain the meat of extra fat and combine it to make the meat sauce. You can add ⅛ tsp crushed red pepper if you wish. It will not add much heat.
Give a 3 to 4 quart or larger slow cooker a good spray of PAM. Put about 1 ½ cups of meat sauce in first and spread to cover the bottom. Add 1 cup of uncooked ziti noodles or other pasta.
Add half the ricotta cheese mixture by placing spoonfuls on the pasta. Add ½ cup of shredded Mozzarella cheese on top of the ricotta cheese layer.
Repeat the layers by adding 1 ½ cups of meat sauce, 1 cup of dry pasta, the rest of the ricotta, and ½ cup of shredded mozzarella. Top that with the rest of the sauce and 1 cup of mozzarella.
Cook on low for 4-5 hours. But check the pasta one hour early and closer to the end. End cooking early if needed to prevent overcooking of the pasta.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
Crock pot settings and how long to cook
Cooking on low is recommended for this recipe. You are less likely to overcook your pasta. On low, it takes about 4 hours. Check on the pasta about an hour early since crock pots can be unpredictable.
If you decide to cook on high, it should take about 2 hours, but check the pasta at 1 and 1 ½ hours into cooking.
✔️Variations and options to make it perfect every time
Meat tips
If you want, leave the meat out. But, in our home, ziti always has meat. It may be ground beef, Italian sausage, ground chicken, or ground turkey.
Any ground meat must be browned before adding it to a crock pot recipe, or it will be a clumpy mess and leave drainage in the dish. I also took the opportunity to precook the onion and garlic here.
Sauce tips
You can change up the spicing of the homemade sauce if you prefer another flavor.
Add vegetables like bell pepper or mushrooms if you like.
You can use jar marinara sauce, but this recipe's sauce is much better.
Pasta tips
Cooking pasta in a crock pot can be a bit tricky. Crock pots vary in their temperature curve, and the other ingredients can affect the cooking. The most important variable is the pasta itself. I suggest using a similar pasta each time to learn how it will cook by this method.
Smaller pasta will tend to cook faster. The recommended cooking time for your pasta will give you a clue. The penne pasta I usually use has a suggested cooking time of 12-14 minutes.
Pasta with very short cooking times will not be a good choice, and If you use non-standard pasta, like whole wheat or gluten-free pasta, the results may or may not be good.
Crock Pot Italian Recipes
You may also like these crock pot Italian recipes like Crock Pot Chicken Baked Ziti, Crock Pot Pizza Casserole, and Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore. This recipe is featured in Smaller Crock Pot Recipes and Valentine's Day Recipes roundups.
↕️How to make this a "for two" or "family size " recipe
It is already "cooking for two" friendly, but you may make it smaller in a mini crock pot or larger for a family meal in a full-size slow cooker. The full recipe makes 4 servings in a 3 to 4-quart crock pot—perfect for our "for two" household for two meals. But you can adjust down or up according to your needs.
- Use the recipe card and adjust the number of servings to half or double.
- Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructions—those do not adjust.
- If you cook a half recipe in a 2-quart mini crock pot, watch the pasta closely since smaller cock pots may have more temperature variation—check early and frequently. The main downfall of mini crock pots is temperature control.
- A double recipe works well in a 6 ½ quart or large slow cooker.
- Cook for the same amount of time on low. But heed the warning about checking your pasta early due to crock pot temperature variations, especially in mini crock pots.
Serving and Leftovers
Serve like any great Italian. A green salad and garlic bread are perfect.
Store leftovers in an airtight container refrigerated for 4 days or frozen for 3 months.
To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. If frozen, reheat in the microwave or cover in the oven.
❓FAQs
Baked Ziti starts with some tomato-based sauce, usually with meat in my house, but you could skip the meat if you must. Add some cheese and pasta, and you have a classic Italian dish. There are variations, but that is it.
They look similar but not quite the same. Ziti is a bit bigger and has straight-cut ends. The penne is a little smaller with angle-cut ends. But they cook the same and can be used interchangeably. I like my pasta a bit smaller, and penne is readily available, and ziti pasta is not around me.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
📖 Recipe
Crock Pot Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef - or Italian sausage
- 1 onion - small chopped
- 2 cloves garlic - crushed
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 egg white
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese - grated
- 1 ½ tsp salt - divided
- ½ tsp dry parsley
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 1 ½ teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper - optional
- 2 cups dry ziti noodles
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese - shredded
Instructions
- Start by placing 1 pound of ground beef over medium-high heat to brown. Then chop one small onion, crush two cloves of garlic, and add while the meat is browning. Cook until no longer pink. It takes about 9-10 minutes.
- Combine 1 cup (8 oz.) ricotta cheese with one egg white, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, ½ teaspoon dry parsley, and ½ teaspoon salt—do not over-mix.
- To a medium mixing bowl, mix 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, 1 ½ teaspoon basil, optional red pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper—mix well.
- Drain the meat of extra fat and combine it to make the meat sauce. You can add ⅛ tsp crushed red pepper if you wish. It will not add much heat.
- Give a 3 to 4 qt. or larger slow cooker a good spray of PAM. Put about 1 ½ cups of meat sauce in first and spread to cover the bottom. Add 1 cup of uncooked ziti noodles or other pasta.
- Add half the ricotta cheese mixture by placing spoonfuls on the pasta. Add ½ cup of shredded Mozzarella cheese on top of the ricotta cheese layer.
- Repeat the layers by adding 1 ½ cup meat sauce, 1 cup of dry pasta, the rest of the ricotta, and ½ cup of shredded mozzarella. Top that with the rest of the sauce and 1 cup of mozzarella.
- Cook on low for 4-5 hours. But check the pasta one hour early and closer to the end. End cooking early if needed to prevent overcooking of the pasta
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- For a discussion on adjusting the size of this recipe, please see the section in the recipe post where full-size and 2 quart mini crock pots are discussed.
- The pasta goes in uncooked, so the choice of pasta is important. Longer discussion within the post. I suggest a standard penne. I doubt very small pasta, whole wheat, or gluten-free would be a good choice.
- There are variables like the crock pot and the other ingredients. But the biggest variable is the pasta. So check the pasta several times before you think it is done.
- DO NOT SKIP CHECKING THE PASTA early, part way through the cooking, and closer to the end. Many kinds of pasta will go from undercooked to overcooked rapidly.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Just made this, and after 5 hours on low, the noodles aren't even close to being cooked. Followed the recipe exactly. :(
Franc
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
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
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
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.
Garry
Made this today. I liked it, wifey not so much. She said it lacked flavor and was dry. It was dry, to much penne, easily solved problem. Taste, I don't know, she said she is adding some tom sauce with her next helping. I thought it was fine. She had radiation therapy about 2 years ago and since then it seems her taste buds are messed up. Like she absolutely cannot tolerate any spicy food even black pepper. This might account for taste.
DrDan
Hi Garry,
Welcome to the blog.
Sorry, it didn't work that well for you. Increase the fluid with care or recipes like this can become "soup". I have done this recipe at least 25 times with nothing I would call dryness. I'm suspecting pasta variation. Whole wheat paste could definately do it.
I'm not sure there is much to do about the effect of chemo/radiation on taste buds. Patient have told me about it and I believe it usually returns but not always. Since taste and smell are important drivers in nutition, you need to watch that.
Dan
Elizabeth
Dr. Dan, thanks so much for sharing your recipe! It sounds so good!! I can't wait to fix it! It's just the two of us here, but I don't have a small crock-pot. If I doubled the recipe, do you think the leftovers could be frozen?
DrDan
Hi Elizabeth,
I do double this all the time since I use it for semi-formal. Like dinners before holidays with company.
I will freeze great and is good refrigerated for 3-4 days.
As written, I do think it needs the smaller crock pot. I would double if using a bigger crock pot.
I use my 3.5 qt pot over half the time. A great investment.
Dan
Amanda
I am making this for a Super Bowl party, and I will be pressed for time. Do you think I could prep (layer it in the stoneware crock) this ahead of time then slow cook it the next day? Do you think it will make the noodles too soggy?
DrDan
Hi Amanda,
Welcome to the blog.
It might be ok and might not. I wouldn't do it. I would cook the meat and make the sauce then mix the cheese then refrigerate. Assembly is fairly quick.
Dan
Mike
Hi Dan,
I was looking for a lasagna recipe but this sounds even better (and easier). About midway through the instructions you mention cooking the pasta with juice from the chicken. If this isn't a typo, I'm confused. I'll be attempting this recipe regardless. Thanks for all the great meals!
DrDan
Hi Mike,
Welcome to the blog.
Yep, a typo. It must have been there there for years and has had 500,000 plus views and you are the first to see it. Fixed and thanks for the proof read.
I love this dish. It is very lasagna like but much easier.
Dan