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๐Ÿ Home ยป Recipes ยป Italian Recipes

Crock Pot Baked Ziti

Updated: Oct 29, 2024 ยท Published: Feb 20, 2023 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan ยท 67 Comments

Jump to Recipe
Total Time: 4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

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.

๐ŸฅฃIngredients

Ground beefโ€”or Italian sausage
Cheeseโ€”ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella
Tomatoesโ€”crushed
Aromaticsโ€”garlic and onion
Pastaโ€”ziti or penna pasta
Eggโ€”white only
Pantry ingredientsโ€”parsley, basil, crushed red pepper (optional), salt, and pepper

baked ziti on a white plate.
Jump To (scroll for more)
  • ๐ŸฅฃIngredients
  • ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐ŸณHow to Make Crock Pot Baked Zitiโ€”Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
  • โฒ๏ธHow long to cook
  • โœ”๏ธVariations and options to make it perfect every time
  • Pasta tips
  • Crock Pot Italian Recipes
  • โ†•๏ธHow to make this a "for two" or "family size " recipe
  • Serving and Leftovers
  • โ“FAQs
  • Crock Pot Baked Ziti
Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

Featured Comment from Kathleen:
"I have made this several times for my Husband. He is a very picky eaterโ€ฆhe absolutely loves this!!! It is a 5-star rating for us!!"

It is outrageously good, with gooey melted cheese, great meat sauce, and tender pastaโ€”now you can have the best-baked zitiโ€”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.

๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐ŸณHow to Make Crock Pot Baked Zitiโ€”Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

burger with egg and ingredients for ziti.

1. Use the pasta you wantโ€”usually ziti or penne pasta.

adding chopped onion to burger in a fry pan.

2. Brown ground beef with chopped onion and crushed garlicโ€” about 9-10 minutes.

mixing ricotta cheese with an egg.

3. Combine ricotta cheese with egg white, grated Parmesan cheese, dry parsley, and saltโ€”do not over-mix.

mixing crushed tomatoes with spices in a bowl.

4. Mix crushed tomatoes, basil, optional red pepper, salt, and pepper.

adding cooked meat to the sauce.

5. Drain the meat of extra fat and combine it with the sauce.

pouring uncooked pasta on the meat sauce.

6. Using a 3 to 4 quart or larger slow cooker, lay meat sauce with uncooked pasta.

adding cheeses to the first layer of pasta.

7. Add half the ricotta cheese mixture by placing spoonfuls on the pasta. Top with shredded Mozzarella cheese.

top with more cheese before cooking.

8.Repeat the layers all the layers.

spoonful of baked ziti over the crock pot.

9. 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.

โฒ๏ธ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 ยฝ hours into cooking.

โœ”๏ธ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

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.

Crock pot Italian chicken pasta on a spoon.

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.

โ†•๏ธ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 potโ€”perfect for our "for two" household for two meals. But you can adjust down or up according to your needs.

  1. Use the recipe card and adjust the number of servings to half or double.
  2. Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructionsโ€”those do not adjust.
  3. 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 variationโ€”check early and frequently. The main downfall of mini crock pots is temperature control.
  4. A double recipe works well in a 6 ยฝ quart or large slow cooker.
  5. 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.

โ“FAQs

What is baked ziti?

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.

What is the difference between ziti and penne pasta?

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.

Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect
baked ziti on a white plate

Crock Pot Baked Ziti

From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Deliciousย Crock Pot Baked Zitย 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.
4.78 from 9 votes
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours hours
Total Time: 4 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
Servings #/Adjust if desired 4 servings

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Ingredients

US Customary - Convert to Metric
  • 1 pound ground beef - or Italian sausage
  • 1 onion - small chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic - crushed
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg white
  • ยผ cup Parmesan cheese - grated
  • 1 ยฝ tsp salt - divided
  • ยฝ tsp dry parsley
  • 28 oz crushed tomatoes
  • 1 ยฝ teaspoon basil
  • ยฝ teaspoon pepper
  • โ…› 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.ย  Cook until no longer pink. It takes about 9-10 minutes.
    adding chopped onion to burger in a fry pan
  • Combine 1 cup (8 oz.) ricotta cheese with one egg white, ยผ cup grated Parmesan cheese, ยฝ teaspoon dry parsley, and ยฝ teaspoon saltโ€”do not over-mix.
    mixing ricotta cheese with an egg
  • To a medium mixing bowl, mix 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, 1 ยฝ teaspoon basil, optional red pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and ยฝ teaspoon pepperโ€”mix well.
    mixing crushed tomatoes with spices in a bowl
  • Drain the meat of extra fat and combine it to make the meat sauce. You can add โ…› tsp crushed red pepper if you wish. It will not add much heat.
    adding cooked meat to the sauce.
  • Give a 3 to 4 qt. or larger slow cooker a good spray of PAM. Put about 1 ยฝ cups of meat sauce in first and spread to cover the bottom. Add 1 cup of uncooked ziti noodles or other pasta.
    pouring uncooked pasta on the meat sauce
  • Add half the ricotta cheese mixture by placing spoonfuls on the pasta. Add ยฝ cup of shredded Mozzarella cheese on top of the ricotta cheese layer.
    adding cheeses to the first layer of pasta
  • Repeat the layers by adding 1 ยฝ cup meat sauce, 1 cup of dry pasta, the rest of the ricotta, and ยฝ cup of shredded mozzarella. Top that with the rest of the sauce and 1 cup of mozzarella.
    top with more cheese before cooking
  • 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
    spoonful of baked ziti over the crock pot

Recipe Notes

Pro Tips

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

Your Own Private Notes

Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.
Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect.

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

Calories : 730.9 kcal (37%)Carbohydrates : 43.8 g (15%)Protein : 59.2 g (118%)Fat : 35.6 g (55%)Saturated Fat : 18.1 g (91%)Trans Fat : 1.1 gCholesterol : 169.3 mg (56%)Sodium : 1741.8 mg (73%)Potassium : 1225.1 mg (35%)Fiber : 5.3 g (21%)Sugar : 11.6 g (13%)Vitamin A : 1043.5 IU (21%)Vitamin C : 20.8 mg (25%)Calcium : 751.1 mg (75%)Iron : 6.5 mg (36%)
Serving size is my estimate of a normal sizeโ€”this is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

ยฉ 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

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.

Molly smiling into the camera.

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  1. Kathleen says

    August 14, 2023 at 1:34 pm

    5 stars
    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. ๐Ÿ˜Šโค๏ธ

    Reply
  2. Gail says

    May 09, 2022 at 11:02 am

    My hubby hates cottage cheese or ricotta could I do this with all mozzarella or a combination of mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

    Reply
    • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says

      May 09, 2022 at 1:10 pm

      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

  3. Charlotte says

    December 12, 2021 at 7:00 am

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
  4. Sara says

    October 11, 2020 at 1:44 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Sara says

      November 23, 2020 at 6:07 am

      3 stars
      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.

  5. Monica says

    April 18, 2020 at 7:32 pm

    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.

    Reply
  6. Dan Myers says

    October 29, 2019 at 6:24 pm

    Just made this, and after 5 hours on low, the noodles aren't even close to being cooked. Followed the recipe exactly. :(

    Reply
  7. Franc says

    June 23, 2019 at 9:51 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  8. Fran says

    June 22, 2019 at 4:05 pm

    Hello Dan,

    The Baked Ziti is in the Crock as I write. I love the layering. Iโ€™m still questioning the dry pasta. Time will tell.
    I am bring it to a church luncheon tomorrow. Iโ€™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.

    Reply
    • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says

      June 22, 2019 at 5:45 pm

      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

  9. Susan says

    April 19, 2019 at 4:20 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
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