Slow Cooker Baked Ziti Recipe

This Slow-Cooker Baked Ziti is made completely in the crockpot—even the pasta! It is so much easier than the traditional version but packs all of the same flavor! The recipe includes a step-by-step video.

Love your slow cooker as much as we do? Check out my 15 Best Crockpot Recipes, these Easy Crockpot Meals or these quick-to-prep Dump ‘n’ Go Slow Cooker Meals!

Slow Cooker Baked Ziti is the perfect comforting dinner, made with hearty pasta smothered in rich sauce, combined with tender ground beef and gooey cheese. It’s a comforting dish that practically cooks itself!

Once you sauté the beef with onion, garlic, and seasonings, you throw everything into the crockpot (minus the cheese) and let it cook! The best part is that the pasta cooks right into the sauce, so there’s no need to whip out an extra pot. 

If you’re looking for a delicious meal to make on busy weeknights, this delicious slow cooker recipe is for you!

Why we love this Crock Pot Baked Ziti:

• Family Favorite: Once you try this dish, it’ll quickly become a regular in your rotation! It’s hearty, satisfying, and something everyone at the table will love.
• Best Comfort Food: With layers of pasta, savory ground beef, and melted cheese, every bite feels like a warm hug after a long day.
• Low-Fuss: If you’re looking for an easy dinner, this recipe has you covered. Just throw everything into the slow cooker, and you can go about your day without any hassle.

Want to save this recipe?

Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox. You’ll also get new recipes and a free monthly menu plan!

Name *

Email *

Consent

• By signing up for our newsletter, you agree to receive occasional emails from us. It’s free and always will be. See our Privacy Policy.

Save

Easy Baked Ziti Ingredients:

• Ground beef turkey or Italian sausage: use any fat-content ground beef you like! You can also keep things lean by using ground turkey or more decadent with Italian sausage. 
• Aromatics: onion and minced garlic are sautéed with the meat and seasonings for flavor. You could swap them with onion powder and garlic powder if you don’t feel like chopping!
• Spices: I use a combination of salt, dried basil, and dried parsley, but you could also use Italian seasoning and salt instead!
• Diced tomatoes: these add a little texture.
• Pasta sauce: use your favorite type of marinara sauce. 
• Chicken broth or beef or vegetable broth: this is used to cook pasta and add flavor. Use low-sodium broth to reduce the sodium content if you like. 
• Short pasta (like Penne or Ziti): any type of short pasta shapes will work! For a heartier version, you could use whole wheat ziti or penne. 
• Shredded mozzarella cheese: You could also use parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, or any other type of Italian cheese you like!

How to make this easy Crock Pot Baked Ziti recipe:

Once you cook the beef, this meal practically cooks itself! Scroll down to the recipe card for the full list of instructions. 

• Cook the ground beef and onion until browned.
• Stir in garlic and spices, then cook briefly.

• Add meat mixture, tomatoes, pasta sauce, and broth to the bottom of the slow cooker.
• Stir in the uncooked ziti. Top with cheese, cover, and cook until melted.

Tips for cooking Crock Pot Pasta:

If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know that figuring out how to cook pasta in the slow cooker was pretty life-changing for me.

Take this Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Chili Mac for instance, or this Slow Cooker Healthier Hamburger Helper. We can’t get enough!

But there are a few tricks to getting it just right!

1. Small pasta is best, but long pasta is doable. Short pasta like macaroni, penne, rotini, and others work best in this Slow Cooker Baked Ziti because they’re less likely to clump and stick together. Long pasta cuts like spaghetti and fettucini are doable, but you may have to stir a couple more times in between.
2. Turn your slow cooker to high when you add your pasta. It’s going to take longer to cook than if you were boiling it, but we don’t want it to take forever, so crank it up and let it go for 15 minutes or so until it reaches your desired tenderness.
3. Push your pasta down into the sauce — try to make sure you don’t have too many sticking out, or they may be dry.
4. Don’t overcook — cooking pasta in the slow cooker takes longer than in boiling water, but it’s not going to take more than 20-25 minutes, so check at the 15-minute mark and then try to gauge how much longer it needs at that point.

Variations on this Slow Cooker Baked Ziti:

I have one other confession: my Ziti is not Ziti. It’s Penne.

But you know what?

Ziti is not that easy to find around here, and since my “Baked” Ziti isn’t all that traditional in the first place, why cause a big fuss about it? (If you’re looking for another untraditional “Baked Ziti” recipe that doesn’t cook all day, try this One Pot Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage!)

If you insist, you can easily swap the penne for ziti noodles, and nothing will change.

Here are a few more ways to mix things up if you want:

• Try swapping ground beef for loose Italian sausage for a slightly spicy, extra flavorful kick.
• Try swapping ½ cup of the broth for ½ cup of cream for a creamy, tomato-based pasta.
• You can easily swap the penne or ziti noodles for spaghetti and end up with spaghetti and meat sauce — just cut down the cooking time on the noodles and stir every 5 minutes until cooked.
• You can easily bump up the veggie content by adding shredded carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, finely chopped kale, or spinach — and no one will know!

How to store this cheesy Baked Ziti:

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. 

To reheat, add a splash of water or broth and microwave until heated through.

Can I freeze Crock Pot Baked Ziti?

Yes! Keep in mind that after thawing the pasta will have a softer texture.

Just pop individual servings into airtight containers and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave.

Serving suggestions:

I love serving this hearty meal with some garlic bread to scoop up that cheesy marinara sauce! If you want to keep things light, serve with a green salad or some roasted vegetables. 

More Crock Pot Pasta recipes:

• Cheesy Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti Recipe — creamy with a bit of kick!
• Crockpot Chicken and Noodles recipe — perfect comfort food.
• Crock Pot Mac and Cheese recipe — complements so many different meals!
• Healthier Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper Recipe — this one is always a hit with the kids!

Pin this recipe to save for later

Pin this recipe to your favorite board

Slow Cooker Baked Ziti

written by Ashley Fehr

4.86 from 282 votes

This Slow Cooker Baked Ziti is actually made completely in the crockpot — even the pasta! It is so much easier than the traditional version but packs all of the same flavor!

Save Saved Review

Print

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 6 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Total Time 6 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Cuisine American

Course Main Course

Servings 6 servings

Calories 587cal

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound ground beef
• ▢ 1 onion (finely chopped)
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ▢ 1 can diced tomatoes with liquid (28oz or 798ml)
• ▢ 2½ cups marinara sauce
• ▢ 2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ▢ 4 cups dry penne or ziti pasta (340g)
• ▢ 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the beef and onion until browned, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic, salt, basil, and parsley and cook for 1 minute.
• Transfer the beef mixture to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, sauce, and broth. Stir well.
• Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours.
• Turn the slow cooker temperature to high. Add the uncooked pasta and stir until combined. Cover and continue cooking for 15 to 30 minutes, until al dente, checking and stirring at the 15-minute mark.
• Remove from the heat and sprinkle with the mozzarella. Cover and let sit for 3 to 5 minutes until the mozzarella has melted.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 645grams | Calories: 587cal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 1618mg | Potassium: 934mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 895IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 273mg | Iron: 4mg

Keywords crockpot pasta, slow cooker baked ziti

Want to save this recipe?

Create an account easily save your favorite content, so you never forget a recipe again.

Register Now