Crock Pot Baked Ziti
on Jun 03, 2023, Updated Feb 11, 2025
This easy Crock Pot Baked Ziti recipe is a great recipe to feed a crowd! It is so simple to assemble and even the noodles cook right in the crock pot.
The Best Easy Baked Ziti!
This baked ziti recipe is so easy to prep and will feed a crowd. Even the noodles cook right in the slow cooker.
I love that the slow cooker does all the work for me with just a few minutes of prep work. Normally when making a pasta dish, I would spend extra time dicing up onion and garlic to get that extra depth of flavor.
For this baked ziti crock pot recipe I didn’t add any extra spices (except fresh basil) and it was so good!
Ready for the step by step? I’ll show you just how simple it is! (full ingredient amounts are included in a recipe card at the bottom of this post).
Ingredients & Notes
- Jarred pasta sauce: go for a good quality pasta sauce for the best flavor
- Tomato sauce
- Uncooked penne pasta: yes, the pasta will go in raw. No need to boil it at all first!
- Ricotta cheese
- Eggs
- Freshly chopped basil: I don’t suggest leaving this out or substituting it. The fresh basil really makes the flavor of this dish!
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
How to make crock pot baked ziti
Step 1: Add the 15 oz of ricotta cheese, basil, and 2 eggs to a bowl. Mix it up until it looks like what is pictured below.
Fresh basil really adds a lot of flavor, so don’t leave this part out!
Step 2: Mix together the pasta sauce and tomato sauce in a bowl and divide your penne pasta into three equal amounts. Now it is time to assemble the baked ziti.
Recipe Tip
Before beginning, spray your crock pot with cooking spray. This will help cleanup be a lot easier!
Step 3: Measure out 2 and 1/3 cups of sauce mixture and pour it into the bottom of the crock pot. Next, measure the penne into three equal amounts and add 1/3 of it to the top of the sauce.
I have eye balled it in the past and usually mess it up, so it’s worth taking the extra minute to divide evenly into three bowls before you begin layering.
Step 4: Add half of the ricotta/egg/basil mixture. You can either add the ricotta in dollops, or spread in an even layer.
Step 5: add half of the parmesan cheese in an even layer.
Step 6: repeat the steps for the next level: another 2 and 1/3 cups of sauce, 1/3 of the uncooked penne, the remaining ricotta mixture, and the remaining parmesan cheese.
Add the rest of your penne on top. And lastly, the rest of your sauce! Spread it out as evenly as you can, so that the noodles on top cook properly.
Step 7: Place the lid onto your crock pot and cook the baked ziti on high for 2 hours and 15 minutes.
I have tested this recipe several times, and the perfect amount of cook time appears to be right around 2 and a half hours, before the noodles get too soft. After the 2 hours and 15 minutes, it should look like this image below.
Step 8: Time for the last step which is the mozzarella cheese on top!
I have used both asiago and mozzarella, and both are delicious. Basically any italian cheese you can get your hands on will be great!
Several readers have commented with their substitutions that turned out to be delicious. After the remaining 15 minutes of cook time, the cheese will look all melted and amazing like this.
It’s time to eat! One note: this makes enough to feed a crowd, so you will need a 6 quart or larger slow cooker.
The flavor of this crockpot pasta is just out of this world delicious. If you have never made pasta in a crock pot, this is a great recipe to start with!
This is a family favorite in our house, and I can always count on it coming out perfect every time! I have tested this recipe to perfection and it gets RAVE reviews every time I make it.
Serving idea
We like serving ours with roasted veggies and garlic bread! My favorite is pairing it with my oven roasted frozen broccoli. Super simple and delicious dinner with barely any cooking!
The layers of pasta and cheese are so good. I love getting the bites of fresh ricotta and basil. And the noodles cook in the sauce so they soak up all the yummy flavor!
Can I substitute the ricotta cheese?
Cottage cheese is a commonly used substitute for ricotta in baked ziti as it has a similar texture. You could also try using cream cheese in place of the ricotta.
Reader Dee says, “Cottage cheese works just fine, the eggs act as a binder. Cream cheese also works well. I’ve made this recipe many times.”
How to store
Leftover baked ziti can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
More Pasta Recipes
Crock Pot Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- (2) 25 ounce jars of pasta sauce
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- 1 pound UNCOOKED penne pasta
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup basil, freshly chopped
- 2 cups parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Combine the ricotta cheese, eggs, and fresh basil in a bowl and stir well.
- In a large bowl, combine both jars of pasta sauce and the tomato sauce together.
- Grate the Parmesan cheese and set aside.
- Grease the inside of a 6 qt slow cooker.
- Add 2 1/3 cups of pasta sauce to the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Add 1/3 of the uncooked penne. It's worth measuring the penne into 3 parts. before you begin to ensure an evenly cooked dish.
- Dot on half of the ricotta mixture and spread out evenly.
- Add half of the Parmesan cheese (1 cup).
- Add another 2 1/3 cups of sauce mixture.
- Add an additional 1/3 of the uncooked penne.
- Dot on the remaining ricotta and spread out.
- Sprinkle on the remaining parmesan cheese (1 cup).
- Add the last 1/3 of the uncooked penne.
- Top with the remaining 2 1/3 cups of sauce mixture.
- Cover the crock pot baked ziti and cook it on high for 2-3 hours, or until the pasta is al dente. Mine was perfect right around 2.5 hours.
- During the last 15-30 minutes, add the mozzarella cheese to the top and allow it to melt.
- Serve alone or topped with red pepper flakes and served with garlic bread and a side salad.
Has anyone tried to add meat/ precooked ground beef or mini frozen meatballs in the layers?
Joy,
This was delicious! Can I prepare it ahead of time? I would like to put all the ingredients in the Crockpot the day before and then leave it in the refrigerator. Then take it out and let it come to room temperature (20 minutes?) and then start cooking for 2.5 hours. Will that work? Thoughts on that?
Hi Jackie, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I’m honestly not sure on that. I have read that the temp of the crock pot itself can affect how long it takes to start cooking since it would need to warm the dish up as well. Also not sure if it being cold could cause any issues going into the warm base. If anyone has tried this please comment here!
Has anyone doubled the recipe? Just wondering if the cook time would be roughly the same or more for another box of pasta?
I don’t think you could double this in a standard slow cooker. This fills my 6qt to the brim!
Was surprisingly easy to make. Toughest part is separating the pasta into thirds. The ziti was delicious. Going to add meat and garlic next time I make it. Might also add mushrooms.
The first time I tried this recipe was on vacation with two other families in a VRBO rental. We would be out and about all day and dining out isn’t always an option with the little ones. I wanted something filling and ready to eat when we returned in the evening, and most importantly, something everyone would like. This fit the bill and we were not disappointed. The fresh basil really does make it taste awesome. I had meatballs on the side for anyone who might miss having their meat. A tossed salad and sliced fresh Italian bread completed a perfect dinner. EVERYONE loved it! The other women requested the recipe and it will be a go-to for all of us now!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Melinda, thank you for taking time to leave a comment!!
Hi, This looks delicious! I am hosting a Christmas Open House for about 35 people. Can I leave this on warm in a crockpot over the course of 5 hours or do you think the noodles will get too mushy? Thanks so much!
I don’t think I would leave it for 5 hours personally. Maybe a spinach artichoke dip would be a better choice? I have a crock pot version on here if you want it!
Could I add cooked ground beef or turkey?
I am vegetarian so I cannot confirm it, but many readers have commented that they did (they browned it first in a skillet, I believe).
Has anyone tried to cook it on low? And halving the recipe?
Simple recipe and while it’s not fully done cooking yet I have had a small bite and it was delicious. Can’t wait to really dive in.
I do not recommend leaving this on high. After following the exact recipe the noodles were well done. Taste was 7/10.
Eh wouldn’t make this recipe again unfortunately
How long did you cook it on high? There will be a big difference in texture at 2 hours vs 3+. Noodles cooked in the crock pot definitely have a different texture, but these should not be mushy. I am sorry you had a bad experience! If I can help troubleshoot in any way I am happy to help.
making it as I write this review. This is so easy to make, even a cave man can make it. Than you for this mouth watering dish. I highly recommend it.
So glad you enjoyed it Brian!