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.
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The creamy, sauce-y cheese ziti that you love, made in your slow cooker!
- 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
- 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!
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!
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
Patti says
Cheesy deliciousness! Easy and so good! Definitely will be making this again.
Lauren Allen says
Thanks Patti! <3
Mary says
Yummy and fast…..who could ask for more!!!!!❤️
Lauren Allen says
Thanks Mary!
Andrea says
My crockpot doesn’t have a 2 hour setting, only a 4,6,8 and 10, how would I make this?
Lauren Allen says
I would set it to cook on LOW for 4 hours, but if you can, I would check it around 3 1/2 hours. I feel like the “low” setting is still pretty warm and I don’t want your noodles to be overcooked. Hope that helps!
Shannon says
She said u could put it on low for 3 1/2 hours to 4 hours. I’m going to try this it looks really yummy.
Jill E Wilkins says
Set it for 4 hours and then turn it after 2……
Liz says
Just made this and the taste was great, but a bunch of the ziti towards the top of the crockpot did not cook hardly at all after 3 hrs. on high 🙁 What should I have done differently? I followed the directions 100%. Maybe I didn’t have enough sauce covering the noodles? Any suggestions? Thanks!
Lauren Allen says
Hi Liz, I am sorry that you had crispy noodles. I try make sure to push all of the noodles underneath the sauce to they can cook in the liquid. I have updated the recipe to add that note. I hope you have a chance to retry it!
Jennifer says
This looks so delicious, I’m going to make this tomorrow, if I wanted to add chop meat, how much should I add and should I fully cook the chop meat before hand?
Lauren Allen says
Hi Jennifer, That sounds delicious! I would add one pound (if it’s something like ground beef or sausage), and cook it before adding it. You could also add meatballs!
Makayla says
Hi! I am wondering how big of a cock pot I need to use. I have a 4qt. Base. Thanks!
Lauren Allen says
Hi Makayla. I use a 6 quart crock-pot! You could use a 4 qt., just cut back on the amount of ingredients a little bit!
Marea says
Has anybody tried it with gluten free noodles ?
Michelle says
Hello! This looks delicious and I’d love to make it for a crockpot party. If I doubled up on ingredients, would I also double up the cooking time?
Lauren Allen says
Hi Michelle, you must have a really big crock pot! If you double all the ingredients, I think it will still be done by 4 hours on LOW.
Tina says
I forgot cream cheese. Would cottage cheese work?
Lauren Allen says
That should be fine!
Toni says
Making this tomorrow with frozen meatballs. Should I increase my cooking time? I am cooking on low. Thank you,
Lauren Allen says
Yum! Nope, I don’t think you’ll need to change the cook time 🙂
Tina Wicker says
So thankful for your site. Made this today. Hubby and boys loved this. Quick and easy.
Heather says
This sounds like it would be great to make on vacation in the hotel room, and convienient. It will just be my husband and I though, so how would I reduce this recipe to feed 2? I have a 6 (or 8) qt programmable crockpot.
Lauren Allen says
Hi Heather,
This recipe feeds about 6-8 people. I would divide each ingredient by 3 to feed you and your husband! You will also need to reduce the cooking time! I hope you enjoy it!
Drema says
Thanks for the recipe. Showed my husband recipe. He is shopping list tomorrow. He is Italian. So this is right up our alley. Especially since I can put it in my crockpot and forget it. Thanks again
Hilary Black says
I’m going to try this tonight. With only 3 people eating should I half the ingredients and half the time as well?
Lauren Allen says
It would be fine to half the recipe–it will probably cook for 1.5-2 hours on high.
Stacy says
Looks delicious! Do you just put the crockpot insert in your oven or do you transfer the ziti to another pan when you broil it?
Lauren Allen says
I don’t use a crockpot insert since they are not safe for the oven.
Chrystee says
Great dish!! My kids and I loved it!! Will definitely make it again!!
Snackpants says
I made this to take into work for black friday, we had a skeleton crew so it was just 3 of us. I halved the recipe since it was just 3 of us. Also, I layered all the incredients in the crock overnight (with the exception of the mozz for the top, I saved that for the last 15 mins), and put the crock in the fridge with plastic wrap over the top to seal it.
Once I got into the office, sripped off the plastic wrap, put the lid on it, and plugged it in on low for 3 hours and 20 minutes. Threw the mozz on top, left it on low for another 15 mins, and we all dug in.
This came out great. I’d say halving it there was enough in there for 5 or 6 people. One of the women I work with took the leftovers home for her husband, so it was definitely a hit. We’re having a food day for something else next week, I’ll be setting it up again, except doing the full recipe then, and tossing in a pound of grass fed beef browned with the sauce. Should be pretty awesome.
I was a little bit concerned with setting it up the night before, I was worried the noodles would get too soft. There was no issue. This recipe is pretty awesome and very simple. Thank you!
Lauren Allen says
Thank you so much for sharing your experience–especially the tips for making it the night before. I’m so happy it turned out so well! Thanks for commenting.