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! Includes step by step recipe video.
I know.
I’m not even 50 words in and I’ve cheated already.
This Crock Pot Baked Ziti is obviously NOT baked. Though I suppose if you were really set on it you could stir in an egg and some ricotta (although Serious Eats isn’t upset my recipe’s lack of it), spread it into a baking dish and bake it.
I, however, am not.
Because this Slow Cooker Baked Ziti is all about finding easy, crockpot meals that my family loves, don’t use a whole pile of dishes and are relatively healthy and hearty.
And the best part about slow cooker dinners?
That moment, often around 5:00, when you would normally be all like, “Riiiiiiiight…… dinner…..”, but instead you’ve got things totally under control.
How much do you feel like a rockstar in that moment?
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!
- Small pasta is best, but long 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.
- 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.
- Spread your pasta down into the sauce — try to make sure you don’t have too many sticking out or they may be dry.
- 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 cook 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!
More Crock Pot Pasta recipes:
- Crockpot Chicken and Noodles recipe
- Crock Pot Mac and Cheese recipe
- Healthier Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper Recipe
- Cheesy Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti Recipe + VIDEO
Slow Cooker Baked Ziti
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (or turkey or Italian sausage)
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 650 ml jar pasta sauce about 2 ½ cups
- 2 1/2 cups water or chicken broth
- 375 gram box Penne or Ziti or other short pasta (about 4 cups)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook ground beef and onion until browned. Stir in garlic and salt and cook 1 minute. (OPTIONAL: you can also add the raw onion and spices right into the slow cooker to save on time)
- Add beef mixture, basil, parsley, tomatoes, pasta sauce and water to a 4qt (or larger) slow cooker. Stir.
- Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
- Turn slow cooker to high. Add pasta and stir until combined. Cover and continue cooking for 15-30 minutes (depending on how hot your slow cooker is) — check and stir at the 15 minute mark.
- Sprinkle with cheese and cover for 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted.
Nutrition Information
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DawnW says
I put the leftovers in small glass casserole dishes and placed in the freezer, any thoughts on how long to reheat in the oven? Will the pasta be mushy after freezing?
Ashley Fehr says
I would let thaw before reheating to keep it from getting too mushy. It will be a little softer after freezing. How long it will take will depend on the size of the dish — maybe 20-30 minutes? Reheating on the stovetop is also a good option — just add a splash of water or broth to keep it saucy.
lorry says
sounds delish. what would a serving size be? i will definitely be trying this
Ashley Fehr says
One serving is 1/8 of the recipe.
Laura Amelotte says
I didnt add in the noodles until the end, I was afraid they get mushy. I did think it was to liquidly so I added some cream cheese, alittle tomato paste, once it was blended in I added cooked noodles and then the cheese.
Ashley Fehr says
It will definitely be too liquidy without the pasta since the pasta absorbs the excess liquid as it cooks.
Debbie says
I have made this a couple of times both time totally following recipe and my family loves it. I love the fact I can start in the morning when I have more energy and it it only takes a few minutes later to finish. Thanks!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Debbie!
Chrish Joy says
I doubt anyone will see this in the next 1/2 hour lol…but it seems like so much liquid. 2.5 cups plus tomato juices plus big jar of sauce. I had planned to wing a similar recipe but with just a jar of sauce and a cup of water…but I’m assuming since there’s no mention in comments that it’s perfect. 🤷🏼♀️ Sounds delicious.
Ashley Fehr says
The reason for the extra liquid is because the pasta goes in dry 🙂
Savannah says
Have you ever tried putting ricotta cheese in this after it’s done? I kind of want to try it!
Ashley Fehr says
I haven’t but I think it would be great!
Jamie says
My kids ask for this almost every week since I cooked it a month ago! It’s so delish and easy. It competes with one of your beef and noodles recipes on here. Your meals have saved me and I’m sure my kids are happy we’ve gotten out of our same old boring dinner rotation.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Jamie!
Holly says
Do you drain the diced tomatoes?
Ashley Fehr says
Nope
Em says
I would like to halve this, do you think I need to make any adjustments on the times?
Ashley Fehr says
The cook time should be the same.
Caitlin says
Can we use Italian diced tomatoes?
Ashley Fehr says
Absolutely 🙂
bethycunningham@gmail.com says
Looking forward to trying this recipe – can I just ask is chicken broth the same as chicken stock – I.e a stock cube or stock pot ?
Ashley Fehr says
Either will work fine!
Anna says
I’m trying this tonight! Do you think I could add the pasta on low for an hour at the end rather than high for a shorter time? My daughter has a late sports game, and I’m hoping I can add the pasta before we leave so we can come home and just have this ready rather than waiting for the pasta to cook.
Thanks for sharing!
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Anna! I haven’t tried leaving the pasta unattended, as the exact cook time can depend on how hot your slow cooker cooks. If you are particular about having al dente pasta, then I would not leave it that long. But if you’re okay with softer pasta, then it may be fine.
Marjorie says
Question: If I am using Italian sausage, do I still add onion? Thanks!
Ashley Fehr says
I would! It will just add more flavor 🙂
Priscilla says
Which kind of cream should I use? Whipping cream, cream cheese, or what? Thank you
Ashley Fehr says
Any you like 🙂
Rachel says
I do not see cream in the recipe anywhere. Am I missing something?
Ashley Fehr says
Nope, there is no cream in the recipe. You can add some, if you like
Brent says
Add when before or after? Or when you add the water etc…?
Betsy says
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! So easy and tasty. It was a huge hit. Am going to try two more of your recipes this week.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Betsy!
Samantha Benoit says
Hi Ashley,
How do I prep the sausage before adding it into the crockpot?
Ashley Fehr says
Any meat that you want to add in would be cooked before adding to the slow cooker
Amber says
So what exactly are we coming for 6 hours if everything is precooked before we’re out it in there?
Ashley Fehr says
Not everything is cooked. The ground beef is cooked. You are welcome to just stir some dry pasta into your raw vegetables with your cooked ground beef and see how delicious that is.
Sarah S says
Delicious! I used chicken broth and mild Italian sausage. The Ziti noodles took maybe 25 minutes in my crockpot with no precooking and were even softer when I ate it 45 minutes later. Flavor amd aroma was great!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Sarah! I’m glad you liked it!
Jennifer says
My crockpot down have 3 hr high or 6 hr low, what do you suggest I use??? It has 4 and 6 for high and 8 and 10 for low. Thank you
Ashley Fehr says
6 hours on low will be fine because the ground beef is already cooked!
Angela says
Tasty, but pasta never cooked, even after an hour, I had to finish it on the stove. I even tried adding more water. I see the recipe has not been corrected since I saved it.
August says
You need a new slow cooker. Been using this recipe for over a year, no problem.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m glad you like it!
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Angela! The recipe does not need to be corrected, since it works just fine 🙂
Cosette says
I always half cook my pasta before adding it in. It says on my instructions for my crockpot to do so.
Ashley Fehr says
That is not necessary with this recipe. If you do and proceed with the recipe you will need to adjust the cook time of the pasta in the recipe.
mike11873@gmail.com says
Hello Ashley,
I work at a roller skating rink and usually put something in the crock for the employee’s when we are working all day. Customers were making comments about the smell from my crock. Shared your site with them. Employee’s LOVED this recipe. Next time I’m gonna make it with the substitutions Julie used. Thank You from all of the employee’s of Roller Fox Skating Center.
Should I add the cream when I add the noodles or in the beginning with the chicken broth ?
Thanks
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad you liked it!
Julie says
Soooo yummy! I substituted 1/2 cup of cream and added 2 cups chicken broth, no basil but added Italian seasoning. I did half pound of beef and half pound of Italian sausage. Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Julie!
Robin says
This is fantastic! I would like to try it with cream next time. Do I add it with the chicken broth, or at the very end right before topping with cheese? Thank you!!
Ashley Fehr says
I think either would work, but I usually try to add dairy close to the end if I can. I’m so glad you liked it!
Robin says
Thanks! I usually add cream at the end too, so I will do that!
Sol says
Really great recipe browning and all.thank you
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Sol!
Debbie says
Delicious, thanks!!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Debbie!
Rebecca says
I’m so upset. I was looking for a CROCK POT recipe. Imagine my disappointment when the first steps are to “brown hamburger meat in a skillet” and to make matters worse this recipe is referred to as a “CROCK POT ONLY” meal. I might not be a member of Mensa (not yet anyways) but I’m pretty sure that a skillet is not a part of a crock pot.
Debbie says
This is what upsets you?? In 2020the year where EVERYTHING has gone to hell… THIS is what upsets you? Okay Karen 🤦🏻♀️😂😂😂😂 oh my. If you don’t have time or desire to brown ground beef, find another recipe. Many crock pot recipes require browning or cooking something separate then adding it. If you are industrious ( sometimes I am, sometimes I’m not) you can brown a large amount of ground beef and freeze in one pound freezer bags, so when you find a recipe and are horrified you can go ‘oh, that’s right, I have some already in the freezer I can use’
Dean says
Get a ninja crockpot Karen. Stovetop setting to brown the hamburg so your day isn’t ruined!
Angel says
I feel your pain. I wanted to just dump everything in a crockpot and go too 🙁
Ashley Fehr says
I mean… you are welcome to try just throwing everything in and see how it comes out? You’re obviously having a rough day. Remember that the people who publish free recipe web sites are still people.
Mary M. says
I actually don’t brown my ground beef a lot of the time when using a slow cooker. If you have a lower grade of beef, it’s better to brown and drain but with ground chuck or higher it’s really not necessary. Just crumble the beef and continue on with your recipe. This is especially good with soups and chili’s as the beef soaks up the liquids. I hope this helps the issues. Enjoy.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for the tip Mary!
Chrish Joy says
Thx for the free recipe! An idea for you: If you wanted to keep the first line about how it’s made “completely in the crockpot” you could just change the first ingredient to “browned ground beef”…people often brown it in batches and have some in the freezer. Then your description would be perfectly accurate. 😊
Sarah says
I would highly recommend finding a crockpot that has a “sauté” option, or one that has stove safe bottom. Most crockpot recipes that include meat are better with an initial browning. I just put this together in one crockpot, since mine had a sauté option on my Instapot branded one, and it was super easy.
Ashley Fehr says
I love that option!