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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.
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I originally shared this recipe September 2017. Updated May 2022 and January 2026.
Making this tomorrow with frozen meatballs. Should I increase my cooking time? I am cooking on low. Thank you,
Yum! Nope, I don’t think you’ll need to change the cook time 🙂
I forgot cream cheese. Would cottage cheese work?
That should be fine!
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?
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.
Has anybody tried it with gluten free noodles ?
Hi! I am wondering how big of a cock pot I need to use. I have a 4qt. Base. Thanks!
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!
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?
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!
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!
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!
My crockpot doesn’t have a 2 hour setting, only a 4,6,8 and 10, how would I make this?
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!
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.
Set it for 4 hours and then turn it after 2……
Yummy and fast…..who could ask for more!!!!!❤️
Thanks Mary!
Cheesy deliciousness! Easy and so good! Definitely will be making this again.
Thanks Patti! <3