Slow Cooker Three Cheese Ziti

The creamy, sauce-y cheese ziti that you love, made in your slow cooker!

I’ve got another one pot wonder for you guys today: Slow Cooker Three Cheese Ziti. Complete comfort food bliss!

Baked ziti has always been high on my list of favorite cheesy pastas. It’s usually my go-to if we’re ever eating at olive garden. It’s simple amazing, especially paired with their awesome breadsticks (here’s my homemade olive garden breadsticks, in case you want to make them yourself!).

I have a one pan baked ziti recipe on my blog that I shared a little while ago. It’s one of my family’s favorites and it contains a yummy meat sauce. This slow cooker three cheese ziti recipe is a little different. First, it’s easier than the other (although both are made in just one pan, so you can’t go wrong!).

This one has even more cheesy-ness going on than the other.  It’s reminds me of my favorite slow cooker lasagna recipe in the way that everything is layered in the crock pot. I love how the noodles are added, uncooked, straight from the box. You don’t have to cook or pre-prep anything before making this.

This meal is a total winner in the “fix it and forget it” category and the end result is tender noodles sandwiched between layers of cheesy deliciousness.

Consider trying these popular slow cooker recipes:

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Slow Cooker Ribs

Hawaiian BBQ Meatballs

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Chipotle Chicken Fajita Soup

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Slow Cooker Three Cheese Ziti

The creamy, sauce-y cheese ziti that you love, made in your slow cooker!

4.71 from 17 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 478kcal

Author: Lauren Allen

Ingredients

• 2 24 ounce jars marinara pasta sauce
• 16 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 16 ounces UNCOOKED ziti pastas (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

Instructions

• Add cream cheese, sour cream and ricotta to a mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixers until smooth. Stir in garlic and basil.
• In a large bowl, combine both jars of pasta sauce, tomato sauce and water.
• 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 3/4 cup 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 3/4 cup parmesan cheese.
• Add the remaining uncooked penne. Top with the remaining sauce.
• Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, or LOW for 3 1/3 -4 hours or until pasta is tender.
• During the last few minutes, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese to the top, and return the lid of the machine to allow it to melt. After mine melted I stuck it under the broiler of my oven for 2 minutes to make the cheese golden and bubbly, but you don’t have to!

Notes

Be sure the ziti noodles are covered by the sauce so they cook appropriately.

I use a 6 qt. slow cooker!  Anything that size or larger will work perfectly!

Nutrition

Calories: 478kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 1632mg | Potassium: 961mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1620IU | Vitamin C: 16.4mg | Calcium: 378mg | Iron: 3.4mg

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