This post contains affiliate links.
This Crock Pot Baked Ziti recipe takes just 10 minutes to prep with uncooked pasta, three types of cheese, and marinara sauce layered right in your slow cooker. No need to boil noodles or dirty extra dishes, this dinner is completely hands-off!
Crock pot Baked Ziti will be your favorite lazy dinner.
Crock pot Baked Ziti will be your favorite lazy dinner.It's completely hands-off, which is perfect for busy weeknights. You literally add uncooked pasta, three types of cheese, and marinara sauce into your slow cooker, turn it on, and walk away. There's no boiling noodles, no pre-cooking, no stress. The three-cheese mixture (cream cheese, ricotta, and parmesan) creates yummy cheesy pockets throughout the pasta, while the mozzarella on top gets bubbly. I prep it in 10 minutes after lunch and then when dinner comes around, it's ready to serve!
If you love easy slow cooker recipes try our Ranch Pork Chops, Pot Roast, Chicken Tacos, Chicken Tikka Masala, Ribs, or Lasagna!
How to make Crock Pot Baked Ziti:
Prep Cheese Mixture and Sauce: Combine cream cheese, sour cream, and ricotta in a mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixers until smooth then stir in garlic and basil. Combine both jars of pasta sauce, tomato sauce, and water in a separate bowl.
Assemble: Pour 2 cups of sauce in the bottom of your slow cooker then arrange ⅓ of the uncooked penne on top then dot half of the ricotta mixture on that and spread with a spoon. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top then repeat the layers again, ending with remaining uncooked penne and the remaining sauce.
Cook: Cook on HIGH for 2 hours or LOW for 3 hours, or until pasta is tender. During the last few minutes, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese then place the lid back on to melt. If you want to place it under the broiler in the oven for 2 minutes to make the cheese golden and bubbly you can.
Serve crock pot baked ziti with homemade breadsticks, cheesy bread, or garlic knots and a green salad or French green beans!
Crock Pot Baked Ziti
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 24 oz jars marinara pasta sauce, or two batches of homemade marinara
- 16 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 16 ounces UNCOOKED ziti pasta, (or penne)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, , softened
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, (or cottage cheese)
- 2 cloves garlic, , minced
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, , chopped
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil, for topping, optional
Instructions
- Make Cheese Layer: Add cream cheese, sour cream and ricotta to a mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixers until smooth. Stir in garlic and basil.4 ounces cream cheese, ¼ cup sour cream, ½ cup ricotta cheese, 2 cloves garlic, ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- Make Red Sauce: In a large bowl, combine both jars of pasta sauce, tomato sauce and water.2 24 oz jars marinara pasta sauce, 16 ounces tomato sauce, 1 cup water
- Assemble: Add 2 cups of sauce to the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with about ⅓ of the uncooked penne. Dot on half of the ricotta mixture and use a spoon to gently spread it out evenly. Top with ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese.16 ounces UNCOOKED ziti pasta, 1 ½ cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Add another 2 cups of sauce. Top with ⅓ of the uncooked penne. Add remaining ricotta mixture and spread. Sprinkle on the remaining ¾ cup parmesan cheese. Add the remaining uncooked penne. Top with the remaining sauce. Make sure the ziti noodles are covered by the sauce so they cook appropriately. Top with mozzarella cheese.1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Cook: Cover with lid and cook on HIGH for 2 hours, or LOW for 3 hours, or until pasta is tender. Serve garnished with fresh basil, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Text me new recipe ideas!
Simple, tasty ideas sent once a week. No spam.
Follow Me
I originally shared this recipe September 2017. Updated May 2022 and January 2026.
This did not work for me, although my dining partners like it. It was too goopy. Maybe I did something wrong.
I made this a few weeks ago and we loved it so much that we’re making it again for our family’s Mother’s Day dinner tomorrow. I made a few substitutions. We don’t like ricotta so I doubled the cream cheese and sour cream. I used penne because we prefer that over ziti and I probably doubled the mozzarella (didn’t measure). I also added ground beef. Thank you so much for so many delicious recipes. This was such a big hit and I’m sure the rest my family will love it too.
While the taste is good, it is VERY rich. I used penne, and made the marinara from scratch (just a simple one). I only had dried basil, and omitted 1 of the 3 TBs from conversion in the cheese mixture. Also used cottage cheese which turned out well. The cheese mixture is hard to spread so ended up making very small dollops from a spoon. It might actually be easier if you made the cheese mixture ahead of time, put it between some waxed paper or saran wrap and rolled flat, the refrigerate; cut into small slabs for a thinner layer of the cheese mixture. I think that was my last favorite, was the rich dollops of cheese in the bites. The pasta was slightly gummy and al dente, but.. not? A bit strange. Cooked on high for 2.5 hours. My husband thought it was very good. He has the constitution of a bear. I am unused to eating pasta very often. So between us, he enjoyed it very much, while it was a bit too much richness for me. A success overall since if he’s happy, it’s good.
I had to give this a 5-star rating as my kids asked for seconds! I typically follow recipes as they are written; however, for some reason I did not have sour cream and ended up using regular vanilla yogurt instead. This recipe was quick and easy to make after coming home tired on a Friday from work.
I doubled the recipe to feed my crew of 10 tonight. Everyone loved it from the 2 year old to the 80 year old. I will be making it again soon but might try adding ground turkey to the red sauce.
Wasn’t my favorite! It was okay, just not the usual 5 stars of TBFS! The consistency was a little off; made recipe exactly as is.
I agree not our favorite either, I even followed some tips others suggested like check after an hr and a half, make more cheese mixture. And it just made so much sauce and some of the noodles throughout were different texture, so I put in oven in a 9 ×13 dish.. just a disaster. Maybe my fault for making changes. (More than likely ) I love almost all of Lauren’s recipes! But won’t be trying this for a while. Traumatized lol. I’m sure it’s some people’s cup of tea.
I added chop meat and carrots! Wonderful
I added sweet italian sausage to mine and crushed red pepper. The recipe is satisfying and oh so easy
I made this for a group of 8 today. Everyone loved it. It was enough that some had seconds. Next time I make it I’m going to add veggie beef crumbles for even more protein (I’m a vegetarian). I made just a couple of changes by adding rosemary and thyme to the sauce so that it infused into pasta.